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Running / Endurance in Mount Cameroon
Mount Cameroon Race of Hope
An active volcano rising straight from the Atlantic to 4095 meters on Cameroon's southwest coast, the highest peak in West and Central Africa, climbed from the old German hill town of Buea on its flank.
Scheduled and sanctioned by Cameroon Athletics Federation.
Why here
The Mount Cameroon Race of Hope is one of the hardest one-day mountain races anywhere, a run from the town of Buea to the 4095 meter summit and back in a single morning. First held in 1973 and once sponsored by Guinness, it now draws several hundred Cameroonian and international runners who cover about 38 kilometers and some 3000 meters of ascent from the Molyko stadium, up through forest and lava fields to the crater rim, then straight back down. The winning men finish the whole climb and descent in under four and a half hours, an effort that has made local champions into national heroes. There is no organizer selling a package here; you enter through the athletics federation, line up at the stadium, and run the mountain that towers over the coast. For spectators, race day turns Buea into a carnival of drummers and crowds lining the lower slopes.
Best months
The race is fixed to the drier season, run in January or February to avoid the worst of the mountain's rains, though cloud, cold and wind on the upper slopes are normal even then. It is an elite-level endurance effort: the full course tops out in near-freezing alpine conditions before dropping thousands of meters back to the tropics, and only well-conditioned mountain runners should attempt the summit distance. Shorter category races are also run on the lower mountain.
Getting there & around
Travel advisory · Do Not Travel
US State Department Level 4 Do Not Travel for Cameroon's Southwest Region (armed conflict and kidnapping tied to the Anglophone crisis) as of 2026-07; Buea and Mount Cameroon lie inside it. Check your government advisory and local security before any trip. Buea is about an hour by road from Douala and its international airport. Entry is through the Cameroon Athletics Federation and the Ministry of Sports, who publish the year's date and registration details; there is no commercial booking channel. Runners need serious mountain and altitude preparation, warm and waterproof kit for the summit, and support for the fast descent.
Skill levels: advanced
Schools & guides (1)
Local Organising Committee, Mount Cameroon Race of Hope
OrganizerThe committee chaired by the Governor of Cameroon's South West Region under the Ministry of Sports and Physical Education, with the South West Regional League of Athletics running the race technically. The 31st edition was held 21 February 2026 in Buea over 42 km with around 650 athletes.
Also good for running / endurance in January:
Torn between Mount Cameroon Race of Hope and Samaria Gorge for January?
A plan settles it for your skill and budget, same-day.