Inside Uganda’s First Ever Culture & Heritage Awareness Marathon

July 27th wasn’t just another day for the weekend for the culture enthusiasts, it was a long-awaited moment, a history-in-the-making day as Calsaar Cultural Initiative held her maiden culture and heritage awareness marathon in Kampala.

All the long months of planning, hours expended in media engagements, door-to-door check-ins and the inescapable question of whether we had done enough mobilization for this chick that we wanted so much to hatch, came down to one critical morning which would make or break the movement.

Morning came, as it always does, and so did streaks of hope as participants trickled in at the break of dawn. Anticipation, vigor and courage were exuded by each one as the huddles grew bigger, and louder. From the outside looking in, you would think we had held a meet and greet the previous night – warm smiles, gentle pats and utmost sportsmanship were at full display.

At 7am, Kitante Primary School play ground was painted white as participants glowed by the beautiful sunrise, clad in their Calsaar running vests. 106 participants graced the marathon, among these, we had 16 tour operators, 13 international guests & 11 professional runners. For an inaugural event, we couldn’t be more proud of this crowd and the contribution they made towards supporting Calsaar Cultural Initiative’s heritage preservation strategies.

Themed “Running for Culture, Unity, and Sustainable Development”, the Marathon was flagged off by Mr. Brian Ssenoga – the marketing manager at Buganda Heritage and Tourism Board who represented the Board ED Mr. Najib Ssekikubo as the Chief Guest.

Our first edition was resoundingly successful and this goes to show that our vision is shared beyond the confines of Calsaar Cultural Initiative as an entity.

“People have come out to be part of this marathon – which is just a baby really – and I am overwhelmed with the support have received as Calsaar Cultural Initiative. As we strive to establish sustainable funding avenues for cultural preservation strategies, having an annual event that brings people together to contribute towards this ideal is very critical,” our CEO Steven Sekajja remarked during the certificate awarding ceremony after the marathon on July 27th.

Mr. Sekajja reiterated that the funds collected will go towards the documentation and storytelling project focused on collecting, preserving and archiving indigenous knowledge, oral traditions, and folklore from the Teso Region, Soroti District where a needs assessment has been conducted.

He also noted that to ensure a smoother, bigger and better event next year, the organising team at Calsaar Cultural Initiative will kick off arrangements for the same in October this year.

“This is a good start, but it also means we can’t afford to perform less in the coming edition. Therefore, as we take a rest after today’s happenings, we rise yet again to see how we can make the Culture and Heritage Awareness Marathon 2026 even better,” Sekajja said.

A couple of partners and exhibitors also embraced this movement, including but not limited to Ewaffe Cultural Village, an entity that’s championing practical preservation of and education about Buganda culture and the Buganda Heritage and Tourism Board which is mandated to protect, preserve and promote Buganda’s cultural heritage.

Mr. Brian Ssenoga who represented the Chief Guest, commended Calsaar Cultural Initiative for hosting “a well-organised and impactful first edition of the marathon.”

“We are defined by our culture, we are because of our culture. This is a very good initiative and we believe it is going to be better and better. We can’t take pride in our culture if we know not much about it. This cause is geared towards documenting and preserving culture. As Buganda Heritage and Tourism Board, we will continue to support Calsaar and the team leader, Mr. Steven Sekajja,” Mr. Ssenoga said.

Speaking about their exhibition at the marathon, Aisha Mayanja, CEO Ewaffe Cultural Village, noted that beyond the races, the event is an awareness call for culture and heritage preservation – an aspect that feeds into Ewaffe’s ideals.

“It is an awareness event where we are showcasing our different cultures as Ugandans. As Ewaffe, this is an opportunity to show what we do but also show the general public that we can still honor our cultures and utilize our rich norms and values to make a living,” Mayanja said.

The second edition of the Culture and Heritage Awareness Marathon will be held around the same time of next year although the dates may change. As was the case for the first edition, a series of other line events will precede the marathon as we expand our reach in awareness creation and heritage education particularly in Universities and other learning institutions, and communities.