pacertrip.

PACERTRIP CITY EDITIONRW / RACE GUIDE

Kigali International Peace Marathon

The city you want to run becomes your next trip.

Kigali
RW

Isma250 · CC BY-SA 4.0Isma250 · CC BY-SA 4.0Isma250 · CC BY-SA 4.0MONUSCO Photos · CC BY-SA 2.0MONUSCO Photos · CC BY-SA 2.0MONUSCO · flickr (CC BY-SA)

Race date in 250 days: Jun 13, 2027 Sun
City · Distance: Kigali · 42.195km
Entry fee: $100Varies by event and entry period
Status: SoonSee how to enter ↗

2027Date Jun 13, 2027 · Soon

2026Date Jun 14, 2026

Official website ↗

Instagram

D-day as of Oct 6, 2026

About the race Runner stories How to enter Course Race Prep Travel

Why you dream of this race

THE DREAM

ABOUT THE RACE

A day you'll remember,
long past the finish line.

The Kigali International Peace Marathon is a World Athletics Elite Label road race held every June in Kigali, Rwanda.

It was founded in 2004 by Soroptimist International to commemorate reconciliation and peace through sport after the 1994 Rwandan genocide,

and the first race was held in May 2005.

The event is jointly organised by the Rwanda Athletics Federation and the Ministry of Sports.

It consists of full marathon (42.195 km, two laps of the 21.1 km course), half marathon (21.1 km), and a non-competitive 10 km Peace Run;

both the full marathon and half marathon are AIMS-certified course.

As of 2025, it had grown into one of Africa’s leading road races, attracting more than 13,000 runners from 35 countries.

The road to your own record

Picture the course in advance
and find the pace that fits you.

When the city cheers

Streets lined with cheers, runners all around.
You'll be part of that scene.

The trip that follows the run

Take it slow with the finish still in you,
and meet the city all over again.

#KigaliInternationalPeaceMarathon#Kigali#Overseas Marathon#June Marathon

Stories from those who ran it first.

From the joy of finishing to the tough moments — read what runners wrote themselves.

Race reports: 3

The Running GingerRan in 2025

“We conquered a few of the thousand hills of Rwanda during the 10k of the “Race for Peace” in the Kigali International Peace Marathon.”

A 2025 10K participant said that security and movement around the venue were strict. Despite the hill course at approximately 1,567 m above sea level and confusion over the start and finish instructions, the participant experienced city views, local support and water stations.

Read the original on The Running Ginger

きのしたこうだいRan in 2025 · Finish time 3:38

“There were moments when I wanted to walk the whole way, but even at a slower pace, I was able to run to the finish.”

At the Kigali full marathon, they struggled with repeated hills, strong sunshine, and sections spent running alone. Despite water-focused aid stations and sections where they encountered runners going in the opposite direction, they set a personal best of 3:38.

Quoted from the original · translated

Original quote

歩きたくなる瞬間は終始ありましたが、遅くても最後まで走ることができました。

Read the original on note

PatRan in 2018

“The Kigali Peace Marathon is about peace.”

A participant in 2018 said that the race started and finished at the Amahoor Stadium. The participant collected bib the day before the race and arranged accommodation near the stadium and an early breakfast.

Read the original on Ruminations from Rwanda

We translated a short line from each public race report and summarized the experience. Finish times are as stated by the author, and past editions may differ from this year's weather and operations.

See it on video,
feel it through their stories.

Preview the course and read what runners who went before you wrote.

Finisher vlog

IGIHE Sports · Finisher vlog

View on YouTube

This may be from a past edition. Check the organizer for this year's course and operations.

The way in that fits you

YOUR ENTRY

How to reach the start line —
start with what fits you.

Here are the ways to enter and what each requires.
Check the organizer's page for whether entries are open.

General entry

Full marathon and half marathon — apply online, then collect bib from the Marathon Office before race day (on-site registration is not available on race day)

Official race website Entry options

From the start line to the finish

RACE WEEK

The 42.195km I'll run

Know the course and time limit, and race day comes into focus.

Runners start · local timeFrom 06:30

Time limitApproximately 6 hours

Approximately 6 hours (based on full marathon)

Event	Time limit
Marathon42.195km	6h

International participants: $100/€90 · EAC member-state nationals: $80/€70 · Rwandan nationals/foreign residents with a residence permit: 20,000 RWF (approximately $14) · Free for 10 km youth and secondary-school participants. Cash is not accepted; payment is available only by PayPal, bank transfer, or mobile money
For reference only, not confirmed for 2027

START

Amahoro Stadium, Remera, Kigali

Start · Google Maps

FINISH

Amahoro Stadium

same as the start (loop course)

Finish · Google Maps

Original course map · kigalimarathon.org

Runners start · local time — Full marathon 06:30 · half marathon 08:15 (as of 2026, for reference only)

Both full marathon and half marathon start and finish at Amahoro Stadium in Kigali’s Remera district.

Full marathon covers the 21.1 km loop course twice, while half marathon completes one lap.

Course passes city landmarks including the Kigali Convention Centre,

with traditional Rwandan music performances staged along the course to add to the festival atmosphere.

True to Kigali’s nickname, the “City of a Thousand Hills,” the course features repeated climbs and descents.

World Athletics Label: Label Label
Typical race-season temperature: around 19°C (66°F): Short sleeves — hydrate for the warmth

Participant benefits

Timing chip

Finisher medal (full marathon gold, all others silver)

Online finisher certificate

Aid stations and refreshments at intervals along the course

Medical staff and ambulances on standby

To the start line,
step by step.

Pick up your bib, check your wave.
So on race morning, you can just run.

Pick up your bib at the expo

Bib collection and on-site registration are not available on race day
unconfirmed

Marathon Office, Amahoro Stadium media room

Google Maps

Stations & transport near the venue

Buy a Tap&Go smart card with cash at a Kigali Bus Services station (e.g. Nyabugogo) or kiosk before your first ride — city buses are fully cashless and only accept Tap&Go card taps, and foreign bank cards cannot load the card or tap the reader directly.

Getting to the start

Amahoro Stadium (also called BK Arena in some listings -- same Remera sports complex), KG 17 Ave, Kigali-Remera.

No metro/rail in Kigali;

nearest hub is Nyabugogo bus terminal (~15min by moto-taxi/taxi).

Most runners reach the venue by moto-taxi (~1,000 RWF) or taxi from central Kigali/Nyabugogo, or by car via RN1 with stadium-adjacent paid parking.

Getting to the finish

Same as start -- loop course finishes at Amahoro Stadium/BK Arena.

Half-marathon finishers diverted to a layby on the left side per the technical rules document.

IC card

Tap&Go

Purchased at KBS bus stations (e.g. Nyabugogo terminal), supermarkets, and kiosks around the city.

Recharge with cash (or mobile money) at Tap&Go agents/kiosks — foreign Visa cards cannot be used to load the card, cash only

Not accepted at the gates — get the local card above

More details

Kigali city buses (operated by KBS) are cashless on board — you must tap a pre-loaded Tap&Go card;

the card itself costs roughly 500 RWF (one source cited up to 1,000 RWF) and is non-refundable, with fares of about 200-500 RWF per ride.

A separate multi-operator card called SafariBus also exists.

Rwanda is NOT under international sanctions (unlike Russia), so foreign Visa/Mastercard work fine at hotels, ATMs, and many shops —

they just can't be tapped directly for bus fare.

Source · checked Aug 22, 2026 Source · checked Aug 17, 2026

READY TO RUN

From race morning to after the finish.

Your start time, fuel and bag drop.
Know them ahead and the run feels easier.

Entry fee costs $100 for international participants, $80 for East African Community nationals,

and 20,000 Rwandan francs for Rwandan nationals and foreign residents with a residence permit.

Registration fees cannot be paid in cash;

payment is available only by PayPal, bank transfer, or mobile money.

Bib must be collected in advance from the Marathon Office in the Amahoro Stadium media room before race day.

Bib collection and on-site registration are not available on race day.

Several aid station and aid stations are positioned along course, with medical staff and ambulances on standby throughout the race.

Kigali is a high-altitude city at approximately 1,500 m above sea level, so runners arriving from lower elevations should allow time to acclimatise.

Times are local to Kigali. Check the latest official information before the race.

A trip built around the race

STAY A LITTLE

MAKE IT A RUNTRIP

The race is one day,
the trip can be longer.

From a hotel that makes race morning easy,
to the meals and views you'll enjoy with the medal on.

Hotels that make race morning easy

7 places

Distances are straight-line from the start/finish area.
Check real travel times and booking terms with each hotel.

The start and finish are in the same place
We picked stays around that one spot.

Urban Park Suites

Hotel · 959m

8.3/10(111)

View on Booking.com

Five To Five Hotel

Hotel · 448m

8.2/10(274)

View on Booking.com

Lebanon Hotel

Hotel · 380m

8.1/10(79)

View on Booking.com

Centric Hotel

Hotel · 314m

7.6/10(66)

View on Booking.com

Saphir Boutique Hotel

Hotel · 973m

7.5/10(12)

View on Booking.com

Juris Park Hotel Kigali New Boutique Adjacent Amahoro & BK Arena Stadium Free Airport Pick up

Accommodation · 197m

9.5/10(19)

View on Booking.com

Serviced Apartment near Kigali Convention Centre & Airport

Accommodation · 634m

9.1/10(13)

View on Booking.com

Swipe sideways to see more hotels.

View on map →

Time for you, before and after the finish

24 experiences

Rest a little, wander a little.
Pick what suits you and whoever you're with.

RECOVERY & SPA1SIT-DOWN TOURS2CARB LOADING2LOCAL TRANSIT4TRAIL & OUTDOOR7CITY TOURS7EASY WALKING1

Kigali: Guided City Tour with Lunch and Spa Treatment

$155

Kigali International Peace Marathon

About Kigali International Peace Marathon — what makes it special

A day you'll remember,long past the finish line.

The road to your own record

When the city cheers

The trip that follows the run