Running for forests: The marathon breathing life into Conservation

You can’t see it. You can’t touch it. But it’s probably killing you. Softly.

Every breath of polluted air quietly chips away at your life. Day after day.

The data is chilling. In 2019 alone, polluted air cut life expectancy by about 1.8 years worldwide, according to Clean Air Fund. Get this: air pollution now steals more years from human life than smoking, car crashes, or malaria.

Did we mention this is a global pandemic? Yes! From London to Delhi to Lagos, and all the way to downtown Kampala, lungs are toiling and hearts (shall we say) breaking under the tax of toxic air… and the absence of tree cover.

But in a quiet corner of Busiika, something different is taking root. Something bold. Something beautiful. Something very green. It is the refreshing combo of running and trees. Or to be exact, running for trees.

Say hello to the Heroes Marathon…

It’s just after dawn in Busiika. A trail winds through a regenerating forest. Hundreds of feet pound the earth. Lungs swell with crisp, tree-filtered air. And with every stride, runners pursue not just a finish line, but a future.

This is not just another marathon. It is a celebration of sweat, oxygen, and Uganda’s unsung heroes: trees.

Set within the Great Outdoors, a 200-acre eco-forest retreat just 45 minutes from Kampala, the Heroes Marathon is a gathering of bodies and beliefs, where the true meaning is in the mud and the most important kind of fitness is that of the forest.

 “This is not your typical city marathon,” says Leonard Mutesasira, founder of The Great Outdoors. “It’s a therapeutic run through a living forest—a healing space, where every breath is rich with oxygen, and every step contributes to the conservation of nature.”

The fifth edition of the Heroes Marathon was held last month under the theme ‘Our Trees, Our Heroes’. More than a tagline, it’s a mission. A philosophy. A call to action.

Uganda loses more than 50,000 hectares of forest every year. Fast-growing eucalyptus trees, while commercially viable, have replaced diverse ecosystems. The Heroes Marathon is a grassroots counteroffensive.

“We want to replant this land with indigenous trees,” says Mutesasira, “because that’s what supports bees, birds, mushrooms, fungi, and humans. Trees are our real MVPs.”

The marathon helps fund a bold reforestation effort: Miyawaki-style micro-forests. These are dense, native tree plots managed on 20-by-20-foot spaces. Companies are invited to sponsor plots as part of their Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) strategy. The plan includes GPS tracking so sponsors can monitor their forest’s carbon capture.

Charles Kabiswa, Executive Director of Regenerate Africa, puts it simply: “We’re not just running for medals. We’re regenerating ecosystems.”

Not just a run

The Heroes Marathon experience is physical and deeply personal. At dawn, runners gather on trails damp with dew, not exhaust fumes. Children cheer. Villagers wave. A little boy hands out mangoes to strangers in motion.

Morgan Bona is a seasoned hiker and secretary general of a manufacturing industry association. He ran the half marathon with his club, Sure and Steady Hikers.

“Running in Busiika is refreshing,” he says. “The air is fresh, and the paths wind through villages and swamps. It’s not just about performance. It’s about connection.”

Bona also represents Green Action for Sustainable Production (GASP). For him, the marathon bridged advocacy and action: “This is how you take a message from the boardroom and deliver it to people. Running together creates unity, and from unity comes change.”

Julius Nkurayijya, road captain of Team Matoke, agrees: “This isn’t just a run. It’s a conversation with the land, the air, and the people. We’re running on trails, not tarmac. It’s good for our bodies and better for our planet.”

This year’s edition welcomed over 400 participants from Uganda, Ethiopia, the UK, and Canada. There were runners, cyclists, walkers. Even kids collecting medals alongside CEOs.

But the impact goes far beyond numbers.

Acting Commissioner for Forestry at the Ministry of Water and Environment Bob Kazungu praised the marathon as a model for modern conservation.

“It fits perfectly with our ROOTS campaign called Running Out of Trees,” he said. “This is conservation beyond the policy table. It’s physical. It’s emotional. It sticks.”

Funds from the race help expand the forest, maintain trails, and educate the public on sustainable land use. It's conservation in action, not merely conversation.

Families, Forests, and the Future

Among the crowds are young children, many running alongside their parents. Some can only walk; others prefer to watch.

Co-director of The Great Outdoors Dr. Olive Kobusingye lights up when she talks about them.

“A child that walks through a forest is different,” she says. “They see things they’ve never seen. They hear strange bird calls. They ask questions. That curiosity becomes stewardship.”

Doreen Naiga is a climate and health program officer. She recalls a striking moment on the trail.

“There was a little boy offering mangoes to the runners. That’s not just generosity. That’s ownership. The community feels part of this.”

And that’s the point: grow trees, grow minds, grow movements.

The Heroes Marathon is now five years old, a major milestone for a local event growing into a national conversation. Support has poured in from companies, conservationists, running clubs, ministries, and even Ugandans in the diaspora.

“Five years is a celebration of endurance,” Mutesasira says. “Of sweat, of trees, of purpose.”

The ripple effect is real.

Many of the runners are decision-makers. You have CEOs, program managers, and policy shapers. After a weekend at The Great Outdoors, many go back changed. And proceed to change their companies.

“Some switch from paper to digital. Others begin plastic audits,” Bona says. “It starts here, in the forest.”

The Great Outdoors now hosts forest retreats for institutions and NGOs. They practice Shinrin-yoku, or Japanese forest bathing. The practice entails slow walks, deep breaths, and reconnecting with nature.

“They come out for strategy,” Mutesasira says, “but leave with a sustainability awakening.”

Join the movement

The next Heroes Marathon is already in motion.

With plans to expand the trail network, partner with more schools, and track tree growth in real time, the vision is bold. And open to all.

You don’t have to be a fast runner. You don’t even have to be a runner. You just have to care.

Because the future isn’t built in stadiums. But in forests. One footstep, one seed, and one breath at a time.