British athletics commentator, Rob Walker was part of the runners and guests that took part in the second edition of the Tusker Lite Mt Rwenzori Marathon held last weekend in Kasese. Walker ran in the 21km category and he completed the race.
While addressing the media after completing his race, Walker who was running in the marathon for the first time said that the event has already gathered momentum just after two editions and it will only keep getting better and better going forward.
“I believe this event will continue going from strength to strength,” Rob Walker said adding that; “there are other events like this around the world but this one has got real energy to it. When we were doing the warmup before the race started, it was like no one had been to bed, it was a disco from Friday night so the atmosphere was brilliant.”
Rob Walker adds that the Tusker Lite Mt Rwenzori Marathon will help promote tourism in the area and if locals tap into it, it can help elevate the economy as its impact can be felt way beyond the day of the marathon.
“I can see the potential in this event, it’s going to be a big part of promoting this area of Uganda going forward because we need people to know that Uganda has mountains, they don’t need to go to other places, it’s also about coming to Rwenzori. There’s beauty, there’s energy, there’s culture, there’s music. This is a brilliant part of an amazing country and I think events like this will help to put this area on a global map because I have attended many distance events around the world and this is pretty special, it feels like a party and it should feel like a party, it’s not just about winning, it’s also about coming here and having fun and seeing a different part of an amazing country,” Rob Walker added.
Overall, Rob Walker notes that the 2023 Tusker Lite Mt Rwenzori Marathon was a fantastic outing and he is happy to have honoured the invite of the organizers. “I promised organisers I would give my time to come and support it and I enjoyed every second. This is a great advert for the Ugandan mountains and surrounding tourism. I’ll be back,” Rob Walker said.
“The altitude was brutal on the half marathon and I was broken at the finish, but I loved it. A steady 1.46 and first Mzungu to finish. Next year I’ll need some more training! 2,000 took part. I can see that doubling in next 3 years,” Rob Walker noted via a social media missive.
The 2023 Tusker Lite Mt Rwenzori Marathon was graced by over 2,000 participants from over 10 countries. Uganda Breweries Limited (UBL) through the Tusker Lite brand is the lead sponsor. The partners are; Standard Chartered Bank, Britam Insurance, Uganda Wildlife Authority, Ministry of Tourism, Rwenzori Mineral Water, Unilever Uganda, Hima Cement Airtel, UDB, UNDP and others.
As successful runners celebrated their victories, they were met with cheers and applause from the crowds gathered at the finish line. And while the Tusker Lite Mt Rwenzori Marathon may be over for this year, the memories of the competitive races will no doubt endure for years to come.
