A community project we build together, and a trail race through the hills to finish
10k · 21k · 42k · Ultra
June 2027.
1
Community project, built together with ASFA and MAD4Africa
6
Nights in southern Rwanda, living in the community
4
Race distances:
10k · 21k · 42k · Ultra
"
You've landed here for a reason. We spend one week in one community...this time in Muganza, in southern Rwanda, and we make something incredible happen together. Then, on the last day, we run a marathon through the hills as the victory lap. Eleven years of doing this, and it's still the part I can't wait for. The race was never really the point. What we build together is."
NICK KERSHAW - FouNDER, IMPACT MARATHON SERIES
Why Rwanda, and why this race
Rwanda is the land of a thousand hills, and once you've run them the name makes sense.
We base the week in Muganza, in the country's green, high southern province, a long way from the tourist trail, on site with the people we're there to work alongside. This isn't a race with a charity bolted on. It's a week built around a community project with the ASFA Physiotherapy Centre and MAD4Africa, and the marathon is the celebration at the end of it.
You live together, work together, eat together, and on the final day you run through the hills - your choice of 10k, 21k or 42k, or our new ultramarathon distance.
Rwanda is also one of the safest, most welcoming countries in Africa to travel in, and June sits in the dry season, which makes for good running and cool, clear evenings.
You fly into Kigali, travel south, and for one week the rest of the world goes quiet.It's run by Impact Marathon: 11 years, $2m+ driven into the communities we run through, and the founder on every start line. The finish line was never the point.
11
years of racing
$2m+
raised for communities
3000+
Impact Runners globally
What’s included
A week in rural Rwanda
Living on site at ASFA Centre, sharing work, meals, and miles.
Fundraising together
We help you set a realistic target and actually hit it.
Impact Project
building on what the 2026 cohort started with ASFA and MAD4Africa. The next one's bigger, and it needs you.
A team on the ground
in-country crew with you all week, with Team Impact on call to support, from sign-up onwards
4 Race distances
10k · 21k · 42k · Ultra - different challenges, one shared start and finish.
1000s of quiet moments
Conversations, hills, stars, and the kind of week that doesn’t fit in a medal.
Meet Nick, your host
Nick Kershaw is the founder of Impact Marathon. For 11 years he's led every race personally - from Nepal to Jordan to Rwanda - and in that time the series has driven more than $2m into the communities it runs through.
He started it on a slightly awkward conviction: that flying across the world for a medal was a strange thing to do, and that the week could be worth far more than the race. He'll be on the course in Muganza in June 2027, same as every year.
Our Rwandan partners
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
FAQ
The Event
What is the Rwanda Impact Marathon? It's a week-long Impact Marathon trip in Muganza, southern Rwanda, in June 2027. A small group lives on site, works alongside local partners on a community project, then finishes the week with a race through the hills: 10k, 21k, 42k or the ultramarathon. It's run by Impact Marathon, and in 11 years we've driven over $2m into the communities we run through. The race is the celebration. The project is the point.
When is the Rwanda Impact Marathon 2027? June 2027, a one-week trip. The dates are provisionally 21 to 27 June 2027, and we'll confirm them before registration opens.
What is a social impact marathon? It's a race built around doing something lasting for the community that hosts it, not a marathon with a charity logo bolted on. You spend the week before the race living and working alongside local partners on a real project, and the run itself is the celebration at the end. We've done it this way for 11 years, from Nepal to Jordan to Rwanda.
How is this different from a normal charity challenge? A typical charity challenge sets a big fundraising minimum, then flies you in for the event. We do it the other way round. A small group. A real week in one community. A project you help build and can point to afterwards. And fundraising that funds that exact project, published line by line in our Impact Ledger. You're part of the work, not a sponsor of it.
Why Rwanda? Rwanda is the land of a thousand hills, and once you've run them the name makes sense. We base the week in Muganza, in the green southern province, working with the ASFA Physiotherapy Centre and MAD4Africa on a project that outlasts the week. It's one of the safest, most welcoming countries in Africa to travel in, and June sits in the dry season, so you get good running and cool, clear evenings.
Running & Fitness
Do I need marathon experience? Can beginners take part? No, and beginners are welcome. There's a 10k and a half marathon as well as the full and the ultra, so you choose the distance that suits where you're at, and you'll train with a plan we build for you. Most people on the start line aren't seasoned marathoners. They just wanted the week.
What race distances are available? Four. 10k, 21k (half marathon), 42k (full marathon), and a new ultramarathon, with one shared start and finish. The ultra is an Impact Marathon first.
How hilly and hard is the course? It's Rwanda, so it's hilly, and that's the joy of it. The climbs are real, but the atmosphere carries you and you pick a distance to match your training. The course is marked and supported, you can walk the hills if you want to, and no one gets left behind. It's possibly the best course we've ever run.
Travel & Safety
Is Rwanda safe for tourists and solo travellers? Rwanda is widely regarded as one of the safest countries in Africa to visit. Low crime, politically stable, and Kigali is known as one of the cleanest capitals on the continent. Solo travellers do very well here, and you'll be with our in-country team the whole week. As with any international trip, check your government's official travel advice before you book.
Do I need a visa for Rwanda? Most visitors can enter easily. Rwanda offers visa-on-arrival to all nationalities, and many travellers can also apply online in advance through the official Rwandan immigration service. Requirements do change, so check the official site for your passport before you travel. We'll send guidance once you're booked.
What vaccinations do I need, and is malaria a risk? Speak to a travel clinic or your GP a few weeks before you travel, so you get advice that fits you. As a rule, a yellow fever certificate is required if you're arriving from a country with yellow fever risk, and routine vaccinations plus hepatitis A and typhoid are commonly recommended. Malaria is present in Rwanda, though the risk is lower up at altitude where we're based, and your clinic will advise on precautions. For current guidance, check your national travel-health service, such as TravelHealthPro or NHS Fit for Travel. We'll share a full kit and prep list once you're booked.
What's the weather like in Rwanda in June? June falls in Rwanda's long dry season. Warm days, cooler evenings, especially at altitude in the hilly south. Good running conditions. Pack layers for the mornings and evenings.
What airport do I fly into? Kigali International Airport (KGL), Rwanda's main international gateway, then you travel south to Muganza. Flights aren't included, so you book the routing that suits you and we'll help with timings.
Accommodation & Experience
Where do we stay, and what's included? You live on site at the ASFA Centre in Muganza all week. There are a few levels, from bring-your-own-tent up to a room with a private en-suite shared with one other person, and you choose when you book. Meals are provided, and we cater for dietary requirements, so just tell us in advance.
Can I come solo, bring a partner, or bring a non-runner? All three. Plenty of people come on their own and leave with a new group of friends. Bring a partner and you get 10% off as a pair. And non-runners are welcome to join the week and the project. You don't have to race to be part of it.
What does a typical day look like? Mornings on the project with our local partners, time to run or train, shared meals, and the kind of evenings (conversations, hills, stars) that don't fit in a medal. There's free time built in, and the whole week builds towards race day at the end.
Impact & Fundraising
What community project will we support, and what happens to the money? We're building on what the 2026 cohort started with the ASFA Physiotherapy Centre and MAD4Africa, and the 2027 project is bigger. The money you raise funds that project, and where it goes is published in our Impact Ledger, so you can see exactly what your week built. Impact Marathon's charitable work runs through the Impact Marathon Foundation (GivingWorks, registered charity no. 1078770).
How much fundraising is required? There's no fixed minimum or maximum. Instead there's a group target that makes the project happen, and we help you set and hit your share. It usually averages around £1,000 per runner, and it makes a massive difference in the community. You'll get a fundraising page, the templates that actually work, and support from a founder who's done this 11 years running.
What is the Impact Ledger? It's how we will show our working. The published account of where the money goes, by project and by build. When you get home, you're not wondering what your week paid for. You can point at it. Eleven years, $2m+, and counting.
Booking & Costs
How much does it cost, and what's included? From £1,295 per runner, land-only. That covers your week on the ground: accommodation at the ASFA Centre, meals, the project, in-country support, and the race. Accommodation levels go up from there, from tent through to en-suite. Flights aren't included.
Are flights included? No, it's in-country only, so you book the flights that suit you into Kigali. That keeps you in control of routing and cost, and we'll help with timings. We can also help you add gorilla trekking or a safari around your dates.
Can I pay in instalments, and what if I need to cancel? Yes. You can spread the cost over 12 months interest-free, pay a deposit with the balance later, or pay in full up front. If your plans change, you can transfer your place to someone else, or defer to any Impact Marathon within a year. Full deposit and cancellation terms are confirmed at booking.
Do I need travel insurance? Yes. Travel insurance is required, and it should cover international travel and the activities you're taking part in, including the race. We'll point you to what to look for once you're booked.
How do I join the waitlist, and what happens next? Add your name with the form on this page. The waitlist gets first pick of places before registration opens to anyone else, so when we open 2027 bookings, you'll hear first. In the meantime you'll get Rwanda updates and stories from the road, and you can reply to any email to reach us directly.
Rwanda
What is Muganza, and where is it? Muganza is a rural community in the Nyaruguru District of Rwanda's Southern Province. Green, high, and a long long way from any tourist trail. It's where we're based for the week, on site at the ASFA Physiotherapy Centre.
Can I combine gorilla trekking or a safari with the marathon? Yes, and many runners do. You can add gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park, or a Big Five safari in Akagera National Park, before or after the week. Permits (gorillas especially) are limited and booked well ahead, so tell us when you join the waitlist and we'll help you arrange it around your dates.
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