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PACERTRIP CITY EDITIONZM / RACE GUIDE
Marathon race photo

Marathon

The city you want to run becomes your next trip.

Marathon race photoLusaka
ZM
Wikimedia Commons · Mgrollne, CC BY-SA 4.0Lupali, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Race date Sep expected
September 2027
City · Distance
Lusaka · 42.195km · 21.1km
Entry fee
Fee TBDVaries by event and entry period
2027Date September 2027 · expected · Soon
2026Date Sep 26, 2026
Official website ↗D-day as of Oct 5, 2026
Marathon race photo
Wikimedia Commons · Mgrollne, CC BY-SA 4.0
Marathon race photo
Lupali, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
About the raceRunner storiesHow to enterCourseRace PrepTravel
Why you dream of this race

THE DREAM

About Marathon — what makes it special

ABOUT THE RACE

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

This race was started in 2018 by Absa Bank Zambia together with local running communities, including the Lusaka Fitness Squad.

The first edition drew just over 500 participants.

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.

Marathon runner reviews and race reports

Stories from those who ran it first.

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

1 race reports
Chewe Peter ChilufyaRan in 2025
“This year was extra special for my family.”

The runner took part in Lusaka's 21 km half marathon, while the runner's wife and two sons joined the 5 km. The runner shared how much the family valued the experience of receiving medals.

Read the original on LinkedIn

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.

Full recap

Ashley On the Run · Full recap

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 enter Marathon — registration routes

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.

From the 2026 edition

We'll fill this in once the official entry rules are out.

Official race websiteEntry options
From the start line to the finish

RACE WEEK

Marathon course map and elevation

The 42.195km I'll run

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

From the 2026 edition
START

Mulungushi International Conference Centre

Start · Google Maps
Show more

The Absa Marathon starts and finishes at Lusaka Showgrounds, an exhibition ground that has hosted several recent editions;

the course heads out onto the surrounding city roads and loops back.

Events are the full marathon (42.2K), the half marathon (21.1K), the 10K, and a 10K junior race for runners under 16.

Portable toilets are placed along the 42 km course.

It's the only World Athletics-certified marathon in Zambia.

The certification put the race on the World Athletics Global Calendar and sets it apart from other road races in the country,

and it backs up the times run here.

In the 2025 women's marathon,

Elizabeth Mukoloma won in 2:34:29, a national record that took more than 11 minutes off the previous personal best of 2:46, and she earned 50,000 kwacha (K50,000) in prize money.

The race is organized by Absa Bank Zambia and draws runners from beyond Zambia's borders every September.

Nearly 8,000 runners took part in 2025, with entrants from 20 other countries lining up with local runners at the start line.

Participant benefits

Not yet confirmed in the official race guide

From the most recent edition

Event T-shirt 2026

Finisher medal 2026

This may change for the next edition.

Where and when to collect your Marathon race bib

To the start line,
step by step.

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

From the 2026 edition

Pick up your bib at the expo

Pre-race collection has been confirmed, but the location, date and time have not yet been published.
Note: the Mlungushi Conference Centre collection information appearing in search results refers to a separate event held in November (the Lusaka Marathon) and must not be applied to this race.

Stations & transport near the venue

Use Bolt (most reliable) or Yango for point-to-point travel; there is no card-based transit system in Lusaka, so don't expect to tap any card on public transport.

Getting to the start

Arcades bus stop (Great East Road, opposite Arcades Shopping Mall)

Start/finish is Mulungushi International Conference Centre (MICC) on Great East Road, opposite Arcades Shopping Mall, Lusaka.

Coming by public minibus from west/north, alight at Arcades bus stop and walk into the MICC grounds.

Start area opens 05:00;

be at the line by 05:30.

Direct fetch of official site failed (DNS);

details from search-indexed snippets and World Vision Zambia coverage.

Getting to the finish

same as start — Mulungushi International Conference Centre

Finish is at the same MICC venue.

More details

No dedicated runner shuttle found.

Organizers explicitly recommend public transport over driving since dedicated event parking is insufficient;

limited parking exists at the back of Arcades Mall.

More details

Lusaka's public transport is informal minibuses (combis) with fixed cash fares per route segment (roughly ZMW 5-15), paid directly to the conductor —

cash only, no card system found.

No evidence of any reloadable transit smart card or formal BRT card system currently operating in Lusaka.

Bolt and Uber both operate in Lusaka (Uber has fewer drivers);

Yango is also available with cash or mobile-money payment.

Minibuses can be crowded and are not recommended for tourists unfamiliar with routes — rideshare apps are the practical, safe default for a visiting runner.

Source · checked Aug 22, 2026Source · 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.

The start and finish venue, the Mulungushi International Conference Centre (MICC), is opposite the Arcade Shopping Mall on Great East Road.

If arriving by minibus from the west or north, get off at the Arcades stop and walk into the site.

Since parking at the venue is limited, the organizers recommend public transportation over driving;

limited parking is available behind the Arcades Mall.

The start area opens at 5:00 a.m., and you must be at start line by 5:30 a.m. Bib is collected in advance, but the location, date,

and time have not yet been announced, so do not confuse it with the November pickup information for the Lusaka Marathon that appears in search results.

Times are local to Lusaka. 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.

3 Trees Cafe
3 Trees Cafe
St. Ignatius Catholic Church
St. Ignatius Catholic Church

Hotels near the Marathon start line in Lusaka

Hotels that make race morning easy

7 places

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

Swipe sideways to see more hotels.

View on map →

Time for you, before and after the finish

19 experiences

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

Lusaka car rental (EconomyBookings)

Compare rates from various rental car companies, self-drive (price confirmed at time of reservation) · Make reservation after checking price

View on EconomyBookings

Lusaka rental cars (Qeeq)

Compare budget-friendly rental cars with a free-cancellation option (check the price when booking) · Check price and book

View on Qeeq

Where runners eat in Lusaka

Eating well is part of the trip

7 places

A meal before the race, a dinner to celebrate the finish.

3 Trees Cafe

Restaurant · Lusaka 3.2km

★4.4(2283)
Map

Marlin Restaurant

Steak House · Lusaka 4.1km

★4.2(1674)
Map

Musubi Japanese Restaurant

Japanese Restaurant · Lusaka 4.4km

★4.8(144)
Map

Mpoto Yathu Zambia

Restaurant · Lusaka 2.2km

★4.6(516)
Map

Madras Restaurant

Indian Restaurant · Lusaka 2.5km

★3.9(702)
Map

Flave Restaurant

Western Restaurant · Lusaka 4.1km

★4.2(308)
Map

Tuyo

Latin American Restaurant · Lusaka 4.6km

★4.4(94)
Map

What to see in Lusaka after the race

Seeing Lusaka with the medal on

7 places

The city you ran — this time, a little slower.

St. Ignatius Catholic Church

Church · Lusaka 2.3km

★4.6(1179)
Map

Lusaka National Museum

Museum · Lusaka 1.7km

★4.3(669)
Map

Official Kabwata Cultural Village Page

Lusaka 3.5km

★3.9(1448)
Map

Team Five Gifts and Crafts

Gift Shop · Lusaka 2.6km

★4.6(35)
Map

Kalimba Reptile Park

Zoo · Lusaka 15.5km

★4.1(1357)
Map

Monkey Pools

Tourist Attraction · Lusaka 19.5km

★4.2(644)
Map

Freedom Statue

Historical Landmark · Lusaka 1.6km

★4.2(261)
Map

Hotel distances are straight-line from the start. Distances and ratings for food and sights come from the place provider, and experiences are travel products in Lusaka.

Total cost and budget for Marathon

TRAVEL ESSENTIALS

Trip prep too,
light and in one place.

ChecklistLocal eSIM · YesimFlight delay or cancellation compensation · AirHelpPace calculator

Once saved, you can open this page without an internet connection

Runner stories and questions about Marathon

RUN TOGETHER

With runners who dream of
the same start line.

Be the first runner
Leave this room's first post

Lusaka runners' room

Frequently asked questions about Marathon

FAQ
When does Marathon 2027 take place?

Not officially announced yet.

It's expected in September 2027;

the 2026 race was held on Sat, September 26, 2026.

What distances does Marathon 2027 offer?

Marathon · Half. (From the 2026 edition)

Where can I book a hotel near the Marathon 2027 start?

You can compare live prices for hotels around the start in Lusaka in the STAY section of this page.

What transit card do I need for Marathon 2027?

Use Bolt (most reliable) or Yango for point-to-point travel;

there is no card-based transit system in Lusaka, so don't expect to tap any card on public transport.

(From the 2026 edition)

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