The 2022 edition of the annual Kigali International Peace Marathon is scheduled for May 29, the Rwanda Athletics Federation (RAF) has announced. First held in 2005, the event is an annual running competition in marathon and half marathon distances usually held in the 3rd week of May in Kigali. This year’s edition will be a special one since the marathon has been awarded a World Athletics Label, an award that recognises high standards in event organisation, safety and runner experience as well as application of the World Athletics rules and regulations. The label also categorises elite competitions, with implications on ranking points available to international elite athletes, and Olympics and World Championships qualification slots offered by the highest categorised competitions. A statement from RAF said that the Kigali International Peace Marathon will benefit from International exposure as a World Athletics Label race, and this will “attract so many international elite athletes to the race.” “For events with a mass participation component like Kigali International Peace Marathon, Labels also signify superior standards in safety and runner experience,” the statement read. “This is a milestone for the Kigali International Peace Marathon in the global road racing community; It’s a stepping-stone towards excellent future events, when the event will have an even more coherent structure of organization, with better-defined tiers to guide fans and athletes, and with integrity measures that are proportionate to the level of the competition,” it added.
