Tooke Run 2026: Routes unveiled as organisers target sh4.47b

With six weeks to go until the 2026 Olympic Day – Tooke Run, organizers have unveiled the route maps for the three distances athletes will undertake to mark the international day.

The 21km, 10km and 5km route maps were certified at the offices of the Presidential Initiative on Banana Industrial Development (PIBID) on Lumumba Avenue, where the nutritional value of matooke championed by President Yoweri Museveni, will be the highlight.

President Museveni, who has been invited to be the chief runner, is the patron of PIBID.

The organization has partnered with the Uganda Olympic Committee (UOC) to organize the run, an event internationally recognised by member countries of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Participants in the 2026 Olympic Day – Tooke Run will not only benefit from international electronic timing systems and cash prizes for top performers but will also have an opportunity to learn about the nutritional value of matooke.

The event, which will feature a 21km half marathon, a 10km road race, and a 5km walk for fitness and inclusivity, is scheduled for June 20 in Bushenyi District.

PIBID Director General Rev. Prof. Florence Muranga, together with officials from the UOC and event organisers Curre Sport Ltd, unveiled the routes at the PIBID head offices on Lumumba Avenue.

Prof. Muranga emphasised the importance of matooke, describing it as a highly nutritious, gluten-free food product ideal for athletes, helping bridge the nutritional value gap through science.

The theme of the run is "Move, Learn, Discover with Nutrition Care."

Organizers are targeting to mobilize sh4.47 billion, with sh2.5 billion earmarked for a nutritional legacy program and sh1.97 billion to support the organization of the Olympic Day – Tooke Run.

Muranga said the four strategic objectives of the event include: supporting excellence in sports, beginning with Ugandan athletes preparing for the Youth Olympic Games in Senegal this September; raising critical nutritional support for vulnerable children; promoting healthy lifestyles; and supporting the East African highland green banana cropping system.

"In joining UOC in a three-year partnership, we want to portray the President's role in promoting nutrition for sports excellence. To compete at the highest global level, our athletes need more than talent and training. They require scientifically backed and culturally grounded nutrition," Muranga noted.

Elijah Njawuzi, the senior administrator at UOC, represented his president Donald Rukare at the event.

Event kits are selling at sh35,000, with organisers targeting at least 5,000 participants. Registration is ongoing, according to Timothy Masaba, a member of Curre Sport Ltd.

The 5km and 10km events will start and finish at Bushenyi Ground, while the 21km half marathon will start from Mitooma District and end at Bushenyi Ground.