Rwenzori Marathon Experience at Essence of Africa
Amos Wekesa, founder of Uganda's Rwenzori Marathon and CEO of Great Lakes Safaris, will bring a taste of running tourism to delegates at the Essence of Africa conference in Zanzibar, with a 5 km walk and 10 km run forming part of the programme. The activation is designed to give delegates a firsthand experience of the growing sports tourism opportunity while fostering networking in an active setting. Wekesa, who is also a member of the Essence of Africa Advisory Panel, will use the session to highlight how a sporting event can serve as a powerful driver of de##1stination tourism.
The Rwenzori Marathon, which has grown from 800 runners across four countries in 2022 to 8,000 participants from 43 countries in 2026, has generated an estimated US$10 million for the Kasese region in western Uganda during race week alone. Wekesa argues that African tour operators are missing a significant commercial opportunity, pointing to a global sports tourism market estimated at close to US$900 billion in 2025 - with running accounting for around 23% of that figure. Running travellers, he notes, span all spending levels, frequently travel in groups, and combine race participation with broader experiences such as wildlife safaris and national park visits, making them an attractive and versatile market for tour operators across the continent.
Source: Essence of Africa
