MTN MARATHON – RUN FOR BABIES CAMPAIGN
In 2004, with only 1,500 participants, MTN, a giant telecommunications company organized a marathon to fundraise and give back to the communities in which the company operated. Seventeen (17) years down the road, an estimated 25,000 people from Uganda and beyond participated in the recently concluded MTN marathon themed Run for Babies; a campaign aimed at curbing neonatal and infant mortality through supporting the improvement of maternal health facilities.
The proceeds of the marathon are set to go towards four (4) health centre III’s namely, Kaabong Health Centre III in Karamoja region, Kachumbala Health Centre III in Teso subregion, Kisenyi Health Centre III and Kawaala Health Centre III in Kampala. It’s pertinent to note that over the years, the MTN marathon has amassed 4 billion Uganda shillings in monetary contributions that has gone towards various causes. The company in partnership with other sponsors and contributions from the individual participants has in the past given towards supporting mothers in internally displaced persons camps in northern Uganda, the resettlement of domestic refugees in the same region, improvement of water supply and hygiene through the construction of water points as well as towards the improvement of the education services in Uganda through the renovation and construction of government school facilities in Kampala.
MTN was able to undertake this campaign with the support of various corporate partners such as Huawei, Stanbic Bank, Vision Group, Rwenzori, NBS TV, Kampala City Council Authority (KCCA), Prudential Assurance Uganda with its health care partners, NBS Sports TV, Uganda Athletes Federation and Vision Group all of which made large financial contributions totaling over 500 million Uganda Shillings towards this cause.
As has been the tradition, the event took place on the third Sunday of November on 20th November 2022 after a two-year recess caused by the COVID19 pandemic. The marathon was flagged off by Uganda’s Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Robinah Nabbanja. The participants ran three (3) categories of races: the 42km, 21km and 10km races. The overall winner of the marathon was Soyejwo Chebet from Bukwo ahead of Kenya’s Samuel Kalalei who reached the finish line 19 seconds behind Chebet’s 2:17:01 completion time. The marathon also included two participants Richard Ocira and Pauline Acayo who won the wheelchair marathon.