A global crowd will arrive in Rwanda this weekend for the 21st annual Kigali International Peace Marathon (KIPM). The event is representative of the broader push to increase tourism in Rwanda through sports. The races will take place from Saturday, June 13 to 14, in an expanded event that will have separate races for professional and recreational runners, a decision that was made to draw in a larger crowd. The marathon draws in a large international crowd. Over 60 countries will be represented at the event. ALSO READ: Rwanda’s tourism revenues hit Rwf1tn in 2025 - report “It’s about more than just racing,” Ainamani said. “It’s about peace (and) reconciliation – about showcasing the journey that Rwanda has gone through.” Other major sporting events hosted in Kigali, including the recent Basketball Africa League (BAL) tournament and the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) Road World Championships held last September, have also played a key role in boosting tourism in Rwanda. Such events tie into the country’s strategy of positioning itself as a leading sports tourism destination, which is anchored by among other things, the establishment of key infrastructure including Amahoro Stadium, BK Arena, as well as several hotels and accommodation facilities. “The whole idea is to have an ecosystem around sports,” said Emmanuel Ainamani, events PR expert at the sports ministry. The peace marathon features locations in all four provinces of Rwanda, encouraging tourists to visit and emphasising Rwanda Development Board’s (RDB) Visit Rwanda campaign. RDB announced in late April that the tourism sector generated $685 million (approx. Rwf1 trillion) in revenues for the 2025 year. ALSO READ: Kigali well-positioned for BAL franchise, says NBA official Last month, Kigali’s hosting of the BAL tournament playoffs left a good impression on NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum, who said in an interview with Andscape that “Kigali is ready” for the BAL’s franchise plans. A franchise league is a closed sports system in which teams operate as permanent, privately owned entities. Under such an arrangement, clubs are granted exclusive rights to specific markets, are not subject to relegation, and share league-wide revenues and resources. Tatum also told Andscape that BK Arena is the best arena in Africa, encouraging collaborations beyond Rwanda. ALSO READ: RDB seeks firms to promote Visit Rwanda brand in Europe Visit Rwanda has also expanded to Europe through partnerships with Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain, Atlético de Madrid and Bayern Munich. In addition, Visit Rwanda signed long-term sponsorship agreements in North America with the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association and the Los Angeles Rams of the NFL. RDB Chief Executive Officer Jean-Guy Afrika and SportaaS Founder and CEO Derek Stewart recently signed a memorandum of understanding to explore more sports development and tourism investment opportunities. “It is clear why Rwanda continues to attract global attention as one of Africa’s most ambitious and forward-thinking nations,” Stewart said in a social media post.
