Calendar / Sierra Leone Marathon
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Running / Endurance in Makeni
Sierra Leone Marathon
Oct 21–26, 2026ConfirmedSierra Leone Marathon & Cycle Challenge 2026
Run by Street Child, with published dates and a real program.
Dates & details verified against: Official event site ↗
Why go
The Sierra Leone Marathon turns Makeni into the country's running capital for a week each year, and it is one of the most purposeful races in the world. Founded and run by the charity Street Child, every entrant runs in support of the same cause, funding education and child welfare across Sierra Leone, which makes the event rare in a sport crowded with commercial fields. The course loops out from Makeni city centre into the surrounding hills and villages of the north, a hot, hard, red-dirt route where runners are cheered through communities that rarely see visitors. There are full and half marathon distances plus 10k and 5k options and a 75-kilometre cycle challenge, so the day suits serious marathoners and first-timers alike. Voted best international event at the 2017 Running Awards, it pairs a genuine physical challenge with a hands-on look at the projects the entry fees pay for. For a runner who wants the race to mean something beyond a finish time, this is the reason to come to Makeni.
When it runs
Held once a year in Makeni, organised by the charity Street Child, with full and half marathon, 10k, 5k and a 75k cycle challenge. The 2026 edition runs 21 to 26 October 2026 (race day within that window); earlier editions ran in May. The 2027 edition is expected in a similar autumn window. It repeats every year.
- Oct 21–26, 2026ConfirmedSierra Leone Marathon & Cycle Challenge 2026
- Oct 20–25, 2027ExpectedSierra Leone Marathon 2027 (expected)
Dates read confirmed where the organizer has published them, and expected where we've projected the recurrence. Always verify with the organizer before booking.
What to expect
The race is held once a year and now falls in October, at the tail of the rainy season, so expect heat, high humidity and the chance of downpours; the earlier May editions ran in similar heat. This is a demanding tropical-heat event, so acclimatisation, pacing and hydration matter more than speed, and the full-marathon field is small and self-selecting. Distances run from a 5k up to the full 42.2k plus a 75k cycle. Entry is through Street Child and usually bundled with a supported multi-day trip.
Getting there & around
Makeni is about a two to three hour drive from Freetown on a good tarmac road, roughly 120 miles east. Most runners enter through Street Child's organised marathon package, which handles Freetown airport transfers, accommodation in Makeni and race logistics across the event week; independent entry is possible but less common. The 2026 event runs 21 to 26 October with optional beach days afterward. Bring hot-weather running kit, electrolytes and sun protection, and train for heat rather than cold.
Where it happens
Makeni, Sierra Leone.
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