Kasese woke up to a different kind of morning on Saturday, 22nd August 2026. By 6:00 a.m., the town had traded its usual rhythm for one shared purpose, painted green and alive with energy, as it hosted the Tusker Lite Rwenzori Marathon, one of the most prestigious road races on the continent.
The marathon holds official World Athletics Label Road Race status, making it Uganda’s first internationally certified marathon and placing it among a select few races in Africa to carry this distinction. Set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Rwenzori Mountains, the race has grown over the years into a signature sporting and tourism event, drawing elite athletes, local runners, and international visitors alike to the foothills of the “Mountains of the Moon.”
For Mountains of the Moon University, an event of this magnitude and international standing, held almost in its own backyard, was simply too significant to sit out.
MMU showed up in full force. The Public Relations and Marketing Unit led a well paraded contingent branded from head to toe in university colours, backed by an enthusiastic team of over 50 students from the Faculty of Science, Technology and Innovation, alongside more than 40 members of staff. Together, they took to the streets of Kasese across the 21km, 10km, and 5km categories, turning the race route into a moving showcase of the university’s identity.
Wherever the road wound through Kasese, MMU’s colours were impossible to miss, a proud, visible reminder of the university’s presence and spirit far beyond the classroom. From the starting line to the finish, chants, branded t-shirts, and banners kept the university’s identity front and centre, drawing admiring glances and warm cheers from fellow participants and spectators lining the route.
For many staff and students, the marathon was as much about wellbeing and unity as it was about competition. It offered a rare chance for colleagues across departments and students across faculties to share the same road, the same struggle up the hills, and the same sense of accomplishment at the finish line, bonds that are harder to build within the walls of lecture rooms and offices.
Participants expressed excitement at being part of the event and described it as a valuable opportunity they hope to take part in year after year. Nabaduuka, a staff member who took part in the race, spoke fondly of the experience. She noted how happy she was to have participated, adding that events like this are good for the body and encouraged more colleagues to embrace such healthy, active engagements. Her sentiments echoed a broader mood among the MMU contingent, one of pride, energy, and a shared commitment to healthy living.
Beyond the thrill of the race, the marathon offered Mountains of the Moon University a rare and powerful platform to market itself on an international stage. With runners, spectators, and media attention converging on Kasese for a globally recognised event, MMU’s participation placed the university’s name and values in front of an audience that stretched well beyond Uganda’s borders. For a university with strong ties to the Rwenzori region and an outlook that reaches toward international partnerships, the marathon was a natural stage to reinforce that identity.
Every branded shirt, every banner, and every runner carrying the university’s name across 5, 10, or 21 kilometres became, in effect, a walking advertisement, a living reminder that Mountains of the Moon University is not just an academic institution, but an active, visible member of its community.
As the dust settled on another successful Tusker Lite Rwenzori Marathon, the university’s Public Relations and Marketing Unit expressed confidence that this would not be the last time MMU turns out in such numbers. With staff and students alike calling for more such opportunities, the university looks set to make its presence at the marathon an annual tradition, one that blends health, unity, and brand visibility in equal measure.
The Tusker Lite Rwenzori Marathon 2026 once again proved that when Mountains of the Moon University shows up, it shows up in colour, in numbers, and in spirit.