Organisers of the Joshua Nkomo Peace Marathon have called on businesses and corporate partners to commit early to financial and logistical support as they prepare for the race’s second edition on April 25, 2027, with ambitions to establish a world-class sporting event honouring the legacy of the late nationalist, Joshua Nkomo.
The appeal was made on Thursday during the official launch of the 2027 marathon, with organisers saying early commitments would help them plan effectively, secure branding opportunities, while attracting both locals and athletes from Zimbabwe and beyond.
Organised by the Joshua Nkomo Legacy Restoration Project Trust in partnership with the National University of Science and Technology (NUST), the marathon seeks to promote Nkomo’s legacy of peace, unity, tolerance and inclusive development through sport.
The race, which organisers describe as Zimbabwe’s highest-paying marathon, offers a US$5 000 first prize and is billed as a qualifier for South Africa’s Comrades Marathon, one of the world’s most prominent ultramarathons.
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Kwanele Hlabangana, chief executive officer of the Joshua Nkomo Legacy Restoration Project Trust, said the early launch was intended to address a recurring challenge in securing corporate support, with businesses often citing exhausted budgets when approached shortly before events.
“We have our banks here. We have Croco Motors here. We have our airport manager here for Joshua Nkomo International Airport, and all of you, whenever we talk, you say, ‘you came too late. We have already exhausted our budgets,’” Hlabangano said.
“Now, you have no excuse because we invited you much, much, much earlier.”
Hlabangano urged businesses to regard themselves as partners rather than sponsors, arguing the marathon offered an opportunity to promote their brands while contributing to Bulawayo’s development and the preservation of Nkomo’s legacy.
He said the inaugural race attracted more than 1 800 runners, including athletes from Uganda, Kenya and Ethiopia.
Organisers are aiming to attract more than 10 000 participants and attendees for the 2027 edition, possibly including runners and spectators.
The prize money and the race’s stated Comrades Marathon qualification status are among the attractions organisers hope will draw elite athletes, while they also want greater participation from local communities.
“This race is not just like any marathon. This race was initiated, conceptualised to honour a great man,” Hlabangano said.
“You are not a sponsor. You are partners. So if we are partners, we are all involved in profits and losses, right, as a business. So this is our marathon. Let’s make it happen together.”
Organisers said businesses could support individual race categories, adopt hydration points along the route, brand barricades, exhibit products at the race village, use the sponsors’ lounge or register employees to participate as corporate teams.
Hlabangano said the 42-kilometre route would start at NUST and pass along Cecil Road towards the Joshua Nkomo statue.
The marathon will also feature 21 km, 10 km and five kilometres.
At least 30 water points are planned along the course, offering companies opportunities to engage with runners and spectators.
He urged businesses to make early decisions on branding locations, warning demand for prominent positions could increase as preparations advance.
The organisers have set December 10, 2026, as the deadline for corporate partners to confirm their participation, while registration is expected to open in December at US$15 per runner.
Hlabangano said early commitments would also allow organisers to produce race materials abroad without the pressure of last-minute arrangements.
The 2027 edition will run under the theme “Peace, Unity and Progress”, building on the inaugural race’s theme of peace, unity and hope.
Organisers have adopted the slogan “One Race, One People, One Future”, presenting the event as both a sporting competition and a platform for civic participation, economic activity and heritage preservation.
Hlabangano said the marathon’s success would be measured not only by the number of participants but also by its benefits to local communities, including opportunities for Bulawayo athletes to achieve qualifying times at home, increased business for small enterprises and research to improve athlete safety.
The trust also plans roadshows in suburbs including Makokoba and Nkulumane to encourage residents to participate, arguing that local communities should take ownership of what organisers hope will become a flagship event for the city.
Board chairperson of the Joshua Nkomo Legacy Restoration Project Trust, Mehluli Moyo, said the organisation was established in response to concerns that Nkomo’s legacy was fading from schools, public spaces and national memory.
Nkomo, widely known as Father Zimbabwe, played a central role in the country’s liberation struggle and is remembered for his advocacy of peace and national unity.
Moyo said the trust sought to preserve Nkomo’s story and values while promoting inclusive development, innovation and sustainability.
He said the partnership with NUST brought together the trust’s heritage work and the university’s scientific expertise, youth energy and organisational capacity.
Moyo described the marathon as an expression of Nkomo’s belief that lasting peace required understanding and perseverance, drawing parallels between the demands of long-distance running and the nationalist’s political journey.
“A marathon is not a sprint for the impatient. It is a distance of kilometres of discipline, of pain, of perseverance, of refusing to quit when your body wants to stop,” Moyo said.
“That is the life of Joshua. He ran the full distance of our struggle from persecution to detention to negotiation to unity, and he never abandoned the race until Zimbabwe was free and united.”
Moyo said the marathon was intended to become an annual heritage event attracting participants from across Africa and eventually the world.
“Peace is the best investment you will ever make. It is the infrastructure behind all infrastructure,” he said, urging businesses to invest in an event that organisers hope will outlast its founders.
Winston Coltart, representing his father, Bulawayo Mayor David Coltart, said the city supported the marathon, describing it as an opportunity to promote sports tourism, healthy lifestyles and cultural heritage.
He said sporting events could generate economic activity while encouraging visitors to explore local attractions and interact with communities.
“The Joshua Nkomo Marathon is even more international,” Coltart said, comparing its potential reach with cycling competitions held in Matobo.
He added the marathon could help cultivate a culture of physical activity while encouraging residents to reflect on the country’s history and emulate the values of its national heroes.
Bulawayo Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Judith Ncube, whose remarks were delivered at the launch, said the event had the potential to stimulate local businesses as runners and spectators patronised hotels, restaurants, shops and heritage sites.
She also highlighted the role of NUST’s sports science and coaching department in athlete development, research and improving sports performance.
“The marathon is about building local economies, strengthening local institutions and creating opportunities for our people,” Ncube said.
She urged businesses to establish lasting partnerships around the event rather than treating it merely as an advertising opportunity.
Runner, Wessi Van Der Westhuizen, also encouraged businesses and residents to support the marathon, describing it as an initiative that could strengthen Bulawayo’s sense of community and civic pride.
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