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Over 400 run to help save kid's lives

CURE Uganda 2018 Marathon

By CURE International

May 17^th, 2018

In what is now an annual tradition at CURE Uganda, we hosted our 2nd Annual CURE Marathon on the first Saturday in April. The organizing committee worked tirelessly towards this key event and we are pleased to announce that it was a great success! Over 25 million Uganda Shillings (approximately $7,000 U.S.) was raised through this year’s marathon! This doubles the amount raised from last year.

We also had a significant increase in the number of participants and corporate sponsors. We were so thrilled by the crowd of over 400 people that were involved in the event!

The Mbale Schools Band walks behind a banner advertising the marathon as they walk to the middle of town.

The aim of the marathon is to raise funds for supporting surgeries at the CURE Uganda hospital and to create awareness about life-threatening neurological conditions facing children in Uganda.

Runners stretch before the start of the CURE Marathon.

Ambassador Angelina Wapakabulo, a CURE Uganda Board Member, was the Chief Runner. Participants arrived before 8:00 a.m. and started with a quick tour of the hospital. Then announcements were made along with pre-running stretches. At 8:38 a.m., the runners were flagged off to begin the race.

Kids participate in the children’s track, a course which took them around the hospital compound.

A child runs along the children's track in the Marathon.

There were options for a 10-kilometer track, a 5-kilometer track, and a children’s track around the hospital’s compound. There was a strong turnout for children and each child ran the number of laps according to their age. We also had a bouncing castle available for the kids, too. Many came with their entire families to participate!

Saviour leads the pack. He won the 10K race with a time of 45 minutes. Saviour also won last year’s race.

Four runners keep their pace as they set off on the first leg of the run.

Francis runs past bicyclists. He finished third in the 10K.

Traffic is blocked by traffic police in one direction to allow runners to pass through a busy intersection.

Runners climb one of several hills during the CURE Marathon.

Benard Makombe, Grounds Keeper of CURE Uganda, crosses the finish line as he wins the 5K race with a time of 26 minutes.

The 5K winner happened to be one of our very own: Bernard Makombe. He ran 5.2 kilometers in just under 26 minutes! When he reached the finish line, he did another lap around the hospital with the kids. The 10K race appeared to be the most serious of runners and the winner, Okin Ewing Saviour, finished 10.2 kilometers in just under 45 minutes!

After winning the 10K, Saviour receives his plaque from Ambassador Angelina Wapakabulo and Tim Erickson, Executive Director of CURE Uganda.

At the conclusion of the event, CURE leaders as well as community leaders shared some short speeches. Information was shared about the hospital’s work along with testimonies from mothers of CURE patients. The guests shed some tears as they listened to the testimonies of former patients and their mothers. It was an inspiring time to experience the impact of the hospital in the lives of our patients.

Dr. Justin Onen, Assistant Medical Director of CURE Uganda, runs through town as he competes in the CURE Marathon.

CURE co-workers cool down after the race.

Honorable Angelina Wapakabulo, CURE Uganda's founding board member, dances with a group of runners to celebrate the completion of the race.

Tim Erickson, CURE Uganda’s Executive Director, thanked the runners for their support stating, “We are so grateful to each of you for supporting surgeries for vulnerable children through this marathon. Our vision is for this event to be huge in the years ahead… filling the entire grounds of the hospital with runners!”

A balloon will not hold back this participant from running on the children’s track.

Members of the Mbale Schools Band make a human tower to entertain the guests.

Dr. Peter Ssenyonga, Medical Director of CURE Uganda, thanks those who participated in the race for supporting the hospital.

A group of moms from CURE Uganda share their testimony after the race.

Ambassador Angelina Wapakabulo speaks to the crowd after the race.

We would like to again recognize and extend our sincere appreciation to the following companies that sponsored the 2018 CURE Marathon and made it a success: Mount Elgon Hotel, Pacific Diagnostics, Mount Elgon Hospital, National Water and Sewerage Corporation, Joint Medical Stores, Mbale Resort Hotel, Benedictine Eye Hospital, Laborex Uganda Ltd, Liberty Assurance, Uganda Clays, MBN Laboratories, Dafra Pharmacy, Club Eltanjia, and Lugazi Sugar Works Ltd. An additional special appreciation to CURE Uganda Board Members who made generous contributions to the event as well.

The Organizing Committee announced the 2019 CURE Uganda Marathon date as April 6, and encouraged the crowd to plan ahead and each bring five friends with them next year!