Five years ago, convincing a Kampala resident to spend a weekend in Kasese was not the easiest sell.
Today, thousands do exactly that every August.
They book hotels months in advance. They drive across the country. Some fly in from overseas. They wake up before sunrise to run through villages at the foot of the Rwenzori Mountains and spend the evening dancing under neon lights.
Somewhere along the way, a marathon became much more than a marathon.
As the Tusker Lite Mt Rwenzori Marathon prepares to celebrate its fifth edition this August, it is worth reflecting on what has happened in Kasese over the last five years.
What started as an ambitious sporting event has evolved into something far bigger; a tourism platform, an economic catalyst, a launchpad for athletes and perhaps one of the most successful examples of place branding Uganda has seen in recent years.
The story, fittingly, begins with a mountain.
In June 2022, tourism entrepreneur Amos Wekesa and a small team stood atop the snow-capped peaks of the Rwenzoris and raised a Tusker Lite Mt Rwenzori Marathon flag.
It was a symbolic gesture that marked the beginning of an idea few could fully comprehend at the time.
The vision was simple: create a world-class marathon in one of Africa’s most spectacular landscapes.
The ambition, however, ran much deeper.
Today, looking back from the vantage point of five editions, perhaps the more interesting question is not why a marathon was brought to Kasese.
It is why Tusker Lite chose to be part of it.
After all, beer brands sponsor football matches all the time. They sponsor concerts. They sponsor parties.
A mountain marathon in the foothills of the Rwenzoris is not the obvious choice.
For Elizabeth Mutamuliza, Marketing Manager Beer at Uganda Breweries, that is precisely why it made sense.
“Many brands sponsor events. We wanted to build an experience. Tusker Lite has always been a brand for people who seek out adventure, who choose experiences over routines and who believe life is best lived actively.
“As a low-carb beer, we naturally appeal to consumers who embrace active lifestyles and are constantly looking for new challenges and new experiences.
“When we looked at the Rwenzoris, we saw a destination that perfectly embodied those values. The mountain represents resilience, exploration, ambition and discovery.
“The marathon gave us an opportunity to create something authentic to the brand while also creating long-term value for Kasese, its people and Uganda’s tourism sector. That is what made this partnership different.”
In many ways, the mountain and the brand were always a natural fit.
The Rwenzoris are not easy.
Neither is running 42 kilometres through Kasese’s terrain.
Neither is choosing adventure over comfort.
And that is exactly the audience Tusker Lite has spent years speaking to; people who are constantly searching for the next challenge and those who would rather collect stories than excuses.
The first edition, held in September 2022, delivered exactly that.
Runners battled rain, mud and demanding terrain. The conditions were unforgiving, but they also became part of the event’s identity.
Unlike city marathons defined by smooth tarmac and predictable routes, Kasese offered something different; a race that felt raw, authentic and deeply connected to its environment.
The local community embraced it immediately.
Villages transformed into cheering stations. Roads filled with spectators. Businesses opened their doors to visitors arriving from across Uganda and beyond.
And when the race ended, another experience began.
The after-party that followed would eventually evolve into the now-famous Tusker Lite Neon Rave, adding a lifestyle and entertainment dimension that made the marathon weekend unlike anything else on the continent.
That combination of sport, tourism, culture and celebration proved powerful.
By the second edition, participation had crossed the 1,000-runner mark.
By the third, the event had secured World Athletics course certification, giving athletes access to internationally recognised times and opening pathways to bigger opportunities abroad.
Athletes such as Abel Chelangat would go on to leverage performances recorded in Kasese to compete on larger international stages, turning the marathon into more than a race.
It had become a launchpad.
Yet while the athletic success stories are impressive, the transformation of Kasese itself may be even more remarkable.
A study by the Makerere University Tourism Research and Development Centre estimated that the marathon generated more than Shs3.5 billion for the local economy during the 2023 event weekend alone.
Hotels experienced record occupancy, restaurants saw increased business, transport operators benefited from the influx of visitors, and small enterprises found new customers.
For many businesses, marathon weekend became one of the most important dates on the annual calendar.
But the impact extended beyond economics.
For years, Kasese had often found itself in national conversations for reasons that had little to do with its extraordinary beauty.
The marathon offered an opportunity to tell a different story.
A story about adventure, tourism, opportunity and one of Uganda’s most breathtaking destinations.
Every year, thousands of people who may never have considered visiting Kasese find themselves spending a weekend there, discovering the Rwenzoris, exploring Queen Elizabeth National Park, visiting local attractions and experiencing the warmth of the community.
What began as a race gradually evolved into a tourism ecosystem.
By the fourth edition, the scale of that transformation was impossible to ignore.
More than 3,500 runners from 56 countries participated in the event, according to figures from the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities.
For one weekend, Kasese became a global meeting point.
Athletes shared roads with first-time runners. International visitors mingled with local communities. Adventure seekers explored the mountains while revellers filled entertainment venues long after the final medals had been awarded.
For Mutamuliza, this broader impact is what makes the marathon particularly meaningful.
“As Uganda Breweries, we have always believed that the communities around us should grow alongside our business.
“One of the things we are most proud of about the Tusker Lite Mt Rwenzori Marathon is seeing the impact it has had beyond race day.
“Over the years, Kasese has welcomed thousands of visitors, local businesses have benefited from increased economic activity, athletes have gained access to international opportunities and the region has earned visibility on the global stage.
“Knowing that the marathon has contributed to changing fortunes and changing perceptions for many people is incredibly rewarding for us.”
Now, as the event prepares to mark its fifth edition on August 22, it does so with achievements few could have imagined when that flag was raised atop the Rwenzoris in 2022.
The marathon has attained World Athletics Label Status and secured inclusion on the World Athletics Calendar, placing it among races recognised for meeting international standards in athlete experience, route quality and event organisation.
A recently announced USD1 million prize kitty is expected to elevate its profile even further.
But perhaps the most significant achievement cannot be measured in prize money, participation figures or certification status.
It is the fact that thousands of people now look at Kasese differently.
Five years ago, the idea was to organise a marathon.
What emerged was something much bigger.
A platform for athletes, tourism, local enterprise and adventure.
And a reminder that when brands invest in experiences rather than events, extraordinary things can happen.
The runners may provide the spectacle.
The mountain may provide the backdrop.
But five years on, the real success story is that a district, a destination and a community have found themselves at the centre of a movement that continues to grow with every stride.
