Africell Marathon Targets Global Stage with Historic 42.2km Race
By Francis Kargbo
Africell Sierra Leone has raised the stakes for the Freetown Africell Marathon with the introduction of a full 42.2-kilometre race for its fifth edition, scheduled for December 6, 2026, as organisers seek to attract international athletes and establish the competition as a major fixture on the global athletics calendar.
Launched in Freetown, the 2026 edition will feature four race categories: 5km, 10km, 21.1km half marathon and the full 42.2km marathon. The addition of the full marathon represents a significant milestone for the competition, expanding opportunities for local runners while strengthening its potential to attract elite athletes and international participants.
Africell Chief Executive Officer Shadi Gerjawi said the marathon was established to promote healthy lifestyles, unite communities through sport and provide Sierra Leonean athletes with a platform to showcase their abilities.
“When we launched the Freetown Africell Marathon, the ambition was to create an event that would bring people together through sport, encourage healthier lifestyles and give our athletes another platform to demonstrate their abilities,” Gerjawi said.
He noted that the competition had recorded steady progress since its inception, crediting the dedication of Africell’s team, partners and participants for its growing profile.
According to him, successive editions have provided valuable lessons in route planning, logistics, safety, coordination and race management, allowing organisers to improve the experience for participants while setting more ambitious targets for the future.
Gerjawi also highlighted the growing interest in long-distance running across Sierra Leone, citing the Freetown Africell Marathon, Street Child’s longstanding marathon activities in Makeni and the emergence of similar initiatives in Kenema as indications of the sport’s expanding reach.
He expressed optimism that the growing enthusiasm for distance running would encourage more communities to embrace athletics and create opportunities for local runners to develop their skills and compete at higher levels.
The Africell CEO stressed that the company’s investment in sports extended beyond sponsorship, describing it as a commitment to developing people, particularly young people, and creating opportunities through sporting activities.
He said Africell continued to support several sporting disciplines, including football, volleyball and basketball, through investments in facilities, sporting initiatives, support for the Sierra Leone Basketball Federation and collaboration with NBA Africa.
Gerjawi added that the marathon could contribute to national development by promoting physical fitness, strengthening community participation and boosting sports tourism. He said the event offered an opportunity to showcase Freetown to international visitors while creating business opportunities for local traders and service providers.
As part of efforts to make the 2026 edition more competitive, he announced that Africell would introduce bigger and more attractive prizes across all four race categories.
However, he cautioned participants against entering distances beyond their physical capacity, emphasising that proper preparation and training would be essential, particularly for those attempting the full marathon for the first time.
Representing the Sierra Leone Sports Writers Association (SWASAL), Sahr Morris Jr. described the marathon’s recognition by World Athletics as an important step towards strengthening its international standing.
He expressed confidence that the recognition could eventually attract elite international runners to Freetown, further raising the competition’s profile and creating opportunities for Sierra Leone to host a more internationally competitive road-running event.
“The Freetown Africell Marathon is recognised by the world athletics body. The fact that this is recognised means it is just a matter of time before we start seeing world athletes joining the Freetown Africell Marathon,” Morris said.
He called on journalists, media institutions and the leadership of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) to intensify publicity and coverage of the competition, arguing that sustained media support would be crucial to its growth.
Morris reaffirmed SWASAL’s commitment to supporting the marathon as it seeks to expand its reach and gain greater recognition within the international athletics community.
The launch also brought together representatives of key sporting institutions, including Prince Vandy Swallay, President of the National Olympic Committee and Commonwealth Games Association of Sierra Leone (NOC/CGA-SLE), and Ibrahim Moses Kargbo, President of the Sierra Leone Athletics Association.
Representatives of Street Child Sierra Leone also attended the event, underscoring the involvement of sporting and development organisations in promoting athletics and community participation.
The NOC/CGA-SLE welcomed the initiative, describing it as consistent with the Olympic Movement’s commitment to Sport for All and Commonwealth sporting ideals of friendship, inclusion and mutual respect.
The committee noted that the marathon could help nurture local athletic talent, encourage healthier lifestyles, promote sports tourism and present Sierra Leone to a wider international audience.
It also expressed its readiness to work with Africell and other stakeholders to maximise the role of sport in national development and strengthen the Olympic and Commonwealth sporting movements in the country.
With the introduction of the full 42.2km race, increased prize incentives and ambitions to attract international competitors, the fifth Freetown Africell Marathon is expected to mark a new chapter in the development of road running in Sierra Leone.
Beyond the competition itself, organisers and stakeholders hope the event will become a sustainable platform for talent development, public health promotion, tourism and the international promotion of Freetown as a destination for athletics.
