The Kazungula Bridge Marathon is celebrating a remarkable milestone this year as it marks its fifth anniversary since inception in 2021. The event, which has grown into Botswana’s highest-paying marathon with a total purse of P750,000, continues to make its mark as a premier sports tourism attraction, drawing runners from across the region and beyond.
Speaking ahead of the upcoming fifth edition, Kazungula Bridge Marathon CEO, Obert Morgan, reflected on the journey and challenges that have shaped the event’s success. “This year we are celebrating the milestone of reaching five years of the marathon happening. The journey to where we are today has been hostile, as when we started, the only other marathons happening were Phikwe Marathon and Diacore Gaborone Marathon. This came as a new initiative that talked about sports tourism,” he said.
Morgan noted that the marathon’s success did not come easily, pointing to the logistical hurdles faced in the early years. “We have experienced challenges with logistics, having to bring together resources from Gaborone and Francistown to Chobe for the marathon to take place,” he explained. “When we started, people had doubts as to how it would happen because Kasane has a high traffic of wild animals. People doubted that we could find a way to make it happen. Furthermore, the marathon itself had a route that spanned through four countries, and at first nobody believed it could happen—but we found a way to make it happen.”
Despite the odds, Morgan said the organisers’ determination has paid off, with the marathon now firmly established as a highlight on Botswana’s sporting calendar. “We as the organisers are very proud that we managed to find a way around these issues and to this day I can confidently say that we have reached this milestone. People love the marathon and are ready to go,” he added.
The main sponsor, First National Bank Botswana (FNBB), has been a key partner since the marathon’s inception. Their current sponsorship agreement, which covers the 2024–2026 editions, is set to conclude after this fifth edition. Morgan confirmed that talks are already underway to extend the partnership by another five years and to bring additional stakeholders on board.
While the prize money breakdown for the upcoming event, including awards for the top three finishers and the special prize for the first Motswana to cross the finish line, has not yet been announced, Morgan assured that details will be shared soon.
The fifth edition of the FNB Kazungula Bridge Marathon is scheduled for 28 February 2026, where runners from across Africa and beyond are expected to compete.
In the build-up to the main event, a series of activations will take place in Letlhakane (15 November 2025), Maun and Kasane (22 November 2025), and Francistown (6 December 2025), with registration now open.
The last marathon, held on 22 February 2025, faced setbacks with the turnout falling short of the 6,000-runner target, attracting 3,800 registered participants, the event was still a success given the circumstances, caused by due to heavy rainfalls across the country, especially in the southern parts, which made travel difficult. Some registered runners couldn’t make it due to floods and road closures.
Despite the weather setbacks, the 2025 edition saw Kenya’s Lazurus Too and Rholex Kogo dominate the 42.2km race, winning the men’s and women’s categories with times of 2:17:53 and 2:39:39 respectively. The two took home P75,000 each.
Morgan remains optimistic that participation numbers will continue to rise as the marathon cements its reputation as a world-class sporting event that promotes Botswana’s tourism and community development.
As the countdown begins for the fifth edition, all eyes are set on Kazungula, where the bridge that connects four nations will once again become the symbol of endurance, unity, and the growing spirit of Botswana’s sports tourism.
