The 2026 Uganda Athletics season start on Sunday Febuary 15,2026 with the Source of the Nile Half Marathon in Jinja.
The one-day in its 13th edition promises to be a thriller as all athletes are gearing up for the event to test their speeds and endurance ahead of the international competitions.
Due to the road construction going on in Jinja City, the 21km run will use the same route used last year according to the organiser Namayo Mawerere who is the Uganda Athletics assistant Secretary.
“This event is very important to the federation because it gives an opportunity to athletes to discover themselves in the field of marathon,” Namayo said at the launch held at the Federation offices on Thursday morning Febuary 12,2026.
He also added that the run will be used to identify some athletes who shall be selected for the road race in Denmark later this year in September and will help the athletes work on their speeds ahead of these international calendars.
The shsh11.8m cash prize
The event will not only benefit the Busoga region by promoting tourism and business in the region, but the participants will win a cash prize courtesy of sh10.8m.
Unlike other sports disciplines that have excised inequality by awardfing the men with higher prize money than the women, For Uganda Athletics it will all equal.
The winner in the men and women will receive sh2m, sh1.5m for the second position and sh1m to the third finisher. The fourth and fifth will receive sh800,000= and sh600,000= respectively.
Last year’s winners Chebet Saibi of Uganda Prisons in the women’s and Mark Kiptoo in the men’s category won the last edition in women while the men’s category mark Kiptoo won the men’s. The marathon will start and finish at First Gym in Jinja City.
