Leemisa Thuseho
VODACOM Lesotho (VCL) Financial Services has partnered with the Mountain Runners Athletics Club as the main sponsor of the fifth edition of the Lekhalong-La-Baroa Annual Run.
The partnership was officially announced during a signing ceremony held at the VCL headquarters in Maseru this week.
As part of the agreement, VCL will inject M330,000 into this year’s event, which is scheduled for 5 September 2026.
The race will feature four distances catering for runners of varying abilities. The flagship 21km race will start at St Michael’s and finish at Lekhalong-La-Baroa (Bushmen’s Pass), a scenic high-altitude mountain pass on the outskirts of Maseru. The 15km race will begin at Ha Phaloane and also end at Lekhalong-La-Baroa.
The 10km race will start at Ha Molengoane, while the 5km event will get underway at Ha Khati, with both races also finishing at Lekhalong-La-Baroa.
This year’s race marks the fifth edition of the event. For its first three editions, participation was restricted to athletics club members before organisers opened it to the public for the first time last year.
Mountain Runners Athletics Club chairman, Rorisang Mabusela, said the sponsorship would help grow the event and attract more participants from within Lesotho and abroad.
“The race has been growing very well. The year before last we had fewer than 50 runners, but last year, after opening it to the public, we reached the 130 mark. We are hopeful that participation will increase even further this year,” Mabusela said.
He said the club wants the race to benefit communities along the route while growing into one of the country’s premier endurance events.
“We want to see the race grow to include a 42km marathon and eventually become an ultra-marathon in the future.
“The dream is also to see increased international participation and for the event to have a positive economic and social impact on communities while contributing to sports tourism in Lesotho.”
VCL Financial Services Managing Director, Seenyane Nthejane, said the company was encouraged by the growing number of Basotho embracing running and other physical activities as part of a healthier lifestyle.
He said regular exercise plays an important role in reducing the risk of chronic diseases, making the partnership a natural fit for the company’s corporate social investment programme.
“We are happy to see that, instead of spending their social time at parties, more people are choosing to go running,” Nthejane said.
“Running can help reduce the prevalence of chronic diseases, and that is what attracted us to support this initiative.”
VCL is also using the race as part of activities marking its 30th anniversary.
Head of the VCL Foundation, Tšepo Ntaopane, said the company intends to ensure that communities along the race route benefit through various social development initiatives.
“We are a company that strives to change people’s lives. As we celebrate 30 years, we decided to use athletics to uplift communities, just as we have supported football for many years,” Ntaopane said.
“In the communities where the race will be held, there are children facing hunger, some who are unable to attend school, people living with disabilities and girls who struggle to attend school during their menstrual periods. We want to play a role in addressing some of these challenges.”
There will be no prize money on offer. Instead, the sponsorship package will be directed towards organising the event and implementing community upliftment programmes in communities along the race route.
