Kigali International Peace Marathon

The Kigali International Peace Marathon is Rwanda's flagship road race, founded in 2005 by Soroptimist International as a peace-building initiative in the years following the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, using sport to promote reconciliation and unity. Organized by the Rwanda Athletic Federation (RAF) and the Ministry of Sports, it is a World Athletics Label Road Race and AIMS-certified event. The 2026 edition (its 21st running, held June 13-14, 2026) introduced a new two-day format: a 10 km Fun Run for Peace on Saturday, followed by the Half Marathon and Full Marathon on Sunday. All distances started and finished at the newly renovated BK Arena (also known as Amahoro Stadium) in Kigali's Remera district. The full marathon covers two laps of the certified 21.1 km course through Kigali, the hilly 'city of a thousand hills.' Kenya's Kephar Lumbasi Namutala (2:14:19) and Ivyne Jeruto (2:35:35) set new course records winning the 2026 men's and women's full marathon titles, while Rwanda swept the women's half marathon podium. Over 4,500 runners took part in the combined Half and Full Marathon, with more than 5,000 additional participants in the Fun Run for Peace. As an established annual event held every June since 2005, the race is expected to return for a 2027 edition, though the official date has not yet been announced.