KAMPALA – With just four days to the much anticipated Mt Rwenzori TuskerLite Marathon, Britam Insurance and CFAO Motors have come on board to give the marathon a befitting return.
Slated for September 2 in Kasese, the marathon is the talk of the town now and people have already filled a number of hotels in Kasese gearing up for the D-day.
According to Mr Richard Mwebesa, the General manager business development at Britam, they appreciate the impact the run is going to make not only in the region but also on the global scale where it is going to attract a number of global runners.
“It is going to improve the welfare of the people in and around Kasese. We are proudly associated with this cause. Sports and wellness is not for Uganda only but also the whole world. Through this partnership with Equator Hikes, Britam is coming on board with a package of Shs66.5m; of this, Shs 16.5m is cash and an insurance package of Shs 50m,” he said.
Mr Mwebesa explained that they have hope that in the future, Britam will make the partnership even much better to cover travel insurance for all those runners that will be flying into Uganda. He revealed that 15 of the Britam staff will be taking part in the 21 and 42km races.
According to Amos Wekesa, one of the organisers of the marathon, insurance is a crucial part of the marathon and with Britam coming on board, it will give the runners a peace of mind to do their best in the different races.
“We are so glad they have committed to work with us. Insurance is something good for sports. Sports is more engaging and challenging and that is why we need an insurance company to come on board, we are thankful for this partnership,” he revealed.
Speaking about their partnership, Isaac Tegule from CFAO motors said they are delighted as a brand to partner with Equator Hikes on this marathon which is a good cause for them in terms of sustainability and tourism growth.
CFAO motors will be offering lead cars for the 42 and 21 km races and planning to send 10 runners to take part in the marathon.
“We are so optimistic the marathon will grow and in the coming years, we will scale up our partnership with more environmentally friendly products. This year we are not fronting the hybrid because they are enroute to the country and we are using the corolla cross,” he said.
He added: “New cars protect the environment better. Toyota is a leading brand in the world and we want to offer the same in different causes. We want to make sure our runners have a clear route site and reach in time. It is our pleasure to contribute to Kasese development and sell our country to the rest of the world.”
Wekesa revealed that the CFAO partnership brings accuracy to the run since a marathon that is not timed, top runners are demotivated.
“Last year we had a lot of runners qualified for the marathon in South Africa because we timed well and they used these figures to qualify. Toyota will lead the way for the people in its environmentally friendly car. The marathon is also passionate about environmental protection.”
