Twenty-eight refugees from Kakuma Refugee Camp will run 840 kilometres from northern Kenya to Nairobi in a week-long charity initiative aimed at mobilising support for refugee education, health and sustainable development.
The Tegla Loroupe Peace Foundation (TLPF) will launch the Tegla Loroupe Ultra Marathon “Run for Hope” on August 17, with the runners expected to arrive at Uhuru Park in Nairobi on August 23, 2026.
The initiative is spearheaded by world marathon champion and TLPF founder Tegla Loroupe alongside refugee ambassador Francois Msafiri from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Running under the theme “Running for Humanity: Empowering Refugees Through Education and Sustainable Development,” the campaign will use sport as a platform to mobilise local and international resources for refugee populations.
The initiative comes amid an urgent humanitarian situation facing more than 400,000 refugees living in camps including Kakuma and Dadaab in Kenya. Many face food shortages, limited access to education, unemployment and psychosocial distress, while displacement continues to rise because of conflict and climate change.
Through the Run for Hope campaign, organisers seek to mobilise resources for food distribution and nutrition programmes, raise funds for scholarships and school materials for refugee children and youth, and foster dialogue and peaceful coexistence between refugee and host communities.
The campaign will also advocate for mental health awareness and psychosocial support for displaced populations.
“Every kilometre of this run is a step toward hope, dignity and opportunity for refugees. Through sport, we can unite communities and open doors to education and a sustainable future,” organisers said on August 15, 2026.
The Tegla Loroupe Peace Foundation is a Kenya-based peace-building and sports-for-development organisation founded by former world marathon champion Tegla Loroupe.
TLPF uses sport as a platform to promote peace, empower refugees and marginalised communities, and advance ethical sports practices across East Africa and beyond.
