…as race targets 650 local and international runners
Leemisa Thuseho
THE Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA) has injected M300 000 into the revival of the Mokhotlong Highlands Marathon, which is expected to attract hundreds of local and international runners in December.
The marathon, organised in partnership with Eventful Moments, was officially launched at Lehakoe Recreational Centre yesterday and is scheduled for 6 December 2026 in Mokhotlong.
The race forms part of celebrations marking the 40th anniversary of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP).
The event will feature five categories: the flagship 42.2km marathon, 21.1km half marathon, 10km race, 5km race and a 1.6km race for children under the age of 12.
All categories will finish at the iconic Senqu Bridge, which was constructed as part of Phase II of the LHWP and inaugurated in April this year.
Eventful Moments organised a similar Mokhotlong Marathon in 2024, but the race was not held last year due to financial challenges, among other reasons.
It is now returning with LHDA as its main sponsor.
Eventful Moments director of operations, Sam Rapapa, said the marathon was intended to showcase Mokhotlong as a destination for tourism, high-altitude training and community-led enterprises.
He said organisers were targeting at least 650 runners from Lesotho and abroad.
“We have set ourselves a target to reach at least 650 runners from both local and foreign participation, and we will do our best to reach that,” Rapapa said.
He said the race’s unique high-altitude setting could help attract top international runners.
According to Rapapa, the 42.2km route will reach elevations of up to 3 482 metres above sea level at Thabana Ntlenyana, Lesotho’s highest point.
He said details of the prize money for the various categories would be announced at a later stage.
LHDA chief executive, Tente Tente, said the 40th anniversary of the LHWP provided an opportunity to reflect on the project’s developmental legacy and its potential to create benefits beyond water infrastructure.
He said the partnership with Eventful Moments represented a deliberate investment in promoting the highlands as a tourism destination, encouraging active lifestyles and ensuring that communities and local economies benefited from the project.
“This opportunity, this milestone provides an opportunity not only to celebrate four decades of engineering excellence and national development, but it also demonstrates that project investment can continue to create value for the communities in tourism, wellness, enterprise development, and social inclusion,” Tente said.
He said the marathon would provide elite athletes with high-altitude training and racing conditions while allowing recreational runners to experience Mokhotlong’s landscapes, culture and hospitality.
“We are particularly proud that the race will culminate at the iconic Senqu Bridge, which was inaugurated in April this year,” Tente said.
Tente said LHDA wanted the marathon to become a catalyst for sustainable economic opportunities in Mokhotlong by creating business opportunities for communities.
“We want this marathon to become a catalyst for sustainable economic opportunity in Mokhotlong by creating meaningful participation across the tourism value chain, from accommodation providers and transport operators to local tour guides,” Tente said
