By Francis Kargbo – Media Relations Intern
Africell Sierra Leone has officially launched the fifth edition of the Freetown Africell Marathon, introducing a full 42.2-kilometre race for the first time as the company continues to promote healthy lifestyles, develop local sporting talent and position the competition as a major event on Sierra Leone’s sporting calendar.
The 2026 edition, scheduled for December 6, will feature four categories: the 5-kilometre, 10-kilometre, half marathon of 21.1 kilometres and the full marathon of 42.2 kilometres. The introduction of the full marathon marks a significant milestone in the event’s development, providing experienced runners with a new challenge while creating opportunities for more athletes to participate in the growing sporting competition.
The launch brought together Africell officials and representatives of sporting institutions, including the President of the National Olympic Committee and Commonwealth Games Association of Sierra Leone (NOC/CGA-SLE), Prince Vandy Swallay; the President of the Sierra Leone Athletics Association, Ibrahim Moses Kargbo; representatives of Street Child Sierra Leone; and Sahr Morris Jr., representing the Sierra Leone Sports Writers Association (SWAL). The event highlighted the growing importance of the marathon in promoting athletics, encouraging community participation and showcasing Sierra Leone to a wider audience.
Speaking at the launch, Africell Chief Executive Officer Shadi Gerjawi said the marathon was established to bring people together through sport, encourage healthier lifestyles and provide local athletes with a platform to demonstrate 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 made meaningful progress since its first edition, attributing its growth to the commitment of Africell’s team, partners and participants. According to him, each edition has provided valuable lessons in route planning, coordination, safety, logistics and the overall experience for runners, enabling organisers to identify areas for improvement and raise their ambitions for subsequent editions.
Gerjawi said the growing interest in marathon running across Sierra Leone was another encouraging development, pointing to the Freetown Africell Marathon, the longstanding work of Street Child in Makeni and the emergence of marathon activities in Kenema as evidence of the sport’s expanding reach. He expressed optimism that the growing culture of long-distance running could encourage more communities to embrace athletics and provide opportunities for local runners to develop their abilities.
He explained that Africell’s investment in sport goes beyond sponsorship, describing it as an investment in people, particularly young people, and the opportunities that sporting activities can create. He said the company’s support extends to football, volleyball and basketball, including investments in volleyball facilities and initiatives, support for football activities, assistance to the Sierra Leone Basketball Federation and collaboration with NBA Africa.
According to Gerjawi, the marathon is expected to encourage physical activity, strengthen sporting communities and contribute to tourism by attracting visitors, showcasing Freetown and creating opportunities for local businesses. He stressed that Africell remains committed to building on the progress of previous editions and improving the experience for runners, spectators and partners.
He also announced that the company would offer bigger and more attractive prizes across all four categories to reward excellence and encourage greater competition. However, he urged participants to select distances they could adequately prepare for, noting that proper training would be essential, particularly for those entering the longer races.
Representing the Sierra Leone Sports Writers Association, Sahr Morris Jr. described the marathon’s recognition by World Athletics as an important development that could help raise its international profile and attract more elite athletes to Sierra Leone.
Morris expressed optimism that the competition could eventually draw international runners, noting that its growing visibility and recognition presented an opportunity to position Freetown as a destination for major road-running events.
“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 to support the competition and help make it a bigger event through increased publicity and coverage. He said the Sierra Leone Sports Writers Association was committed to supporting the marathon, particularly as it gains recognition on the international athletics calendar.
The participation of the National Olympic Committee and Commonwealth Games Association of Sierra Leone further reinforced the importance of collaboration between sporting institutions and private-sector organisations in advancing athletics and grassroots sports development. Prince Vandy Swallay, President of the NOC/CGA-SLE, joined Africell and other stakeholders at the launch, where the initiative was welcomed as an important step towards promoting healthy lifestyles, grassroots sports participation and community engagement.
According to the NOC/CGA-SLE, the marathon aligns with the Olympic Movement’s commitment to Sport for All and reflects Commonwealth sporting ideals of friendship, inclusion and mutual respect. The organisation noted that the competition provides opportunities to nurture local athletic talent, promote sports tourism and showcase Sierra Leone to the international community. The NOC/CGA-SLE also expressed its readiness to collaborate with Africell and other stakeholders to harness sport as a catalyst for national development and strengthen the Olympic and Commonwealth sporting movements in Sierra Leone.
The 2026 Freetown Africell Marathon is therefore expected to be more than a race, with organisers and stakeholders hoping it will become a lasting platform for promoting health, discovering talent, supporting tourism and raising Sierra Leone’s profile in the world of athletics.
