The Presidential Initiative on Banana Industrial Development (PIBID), in partnership with the Uganda Olympic Committee, has launched the Olympic Day-Tooke Run aimed at promoting sports excellence through proper nutrition.
The run is scheduled to take place on June 20 in Bushenyi District, with President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the patron of the banana processing initiative, expected to participate as the chief runner.
On March 14, the Uganda Olympic Committee and Commonwealth Games Uganda entered into a three-year strategic partnership with the Banana Industrial Research and Development Centre in Bushenyi District, designating Tooke as the official nutrition partner.
The partnership has now resulted in the launch of the Olympic Day-Tooke Run, an initiative organisers say will promote healthy living, sports performance and nutrition awareness.
Rev. Prof. Florence Muranga, the Director General of PIBID, said the run would celebrate health, innovation and national pride.
“The run commemorates Olympic values of excellence, friendship and respect while promoting nutrition care for Team Uganda and strengthening early childhood feeding practices across our communities,” Muranga said.
The event is being organised under the theme “Move, Learn, Discover with Nutrition Care” and seeks to support sports development through improved nutrition while strengthening early childhood feeding practices across Uganda.
According to organisers, proceeds from the run will help sponsor Ugandan athletes to the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, and support nutrition interventions for vulnerable populations, especially children in the weaning phase.
“We also want to foster the adoption of healthy lifestyles through communal physical activities while showcasing Tooke as a sustainable energy source for athletes,” Muranga added.
Speaking during the launch, Dr Donald Rukare, the president of the Uganda Olympic Committee, said proper nutrition plays a vital role in sports performance by improving endurance, sharpening focus and accelerating recovery among athletes.
Rukare said the run goes beyond celebrating Olympism and serves as a call for communities to embrace healthier lifestyles and better nutrition habits.
“This is where PIBID brings unmatched value through innovation in banana industrial development, particularly the Tooke products, demonstrating that Uganda can produce high-quality, nutrient-rich foods that support both community wellbeing and elite sports performance,” he said.
The event, which will take place at Bushenyi Sports Ground, will feature races covering 21 kilometres, 10 kilometres and 5 kilometres, with organisers expecting more than 10,000 participants.
Running kits for the event were also unveiled during the launch, with each kit priced at Shs35,000.
