Written By | Alex Mbamanya
PIBID Executive director Prof Florence Muranga and a UOC official endorse the prize money
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Kampala
The Uganda Olympic Committee (UOC), in collaboration with the Presidential Initiative on Banana Industrial Development / Banana Industrial Research and Development Centre (PIBID/BIRDC), has announced hefty cash prizes ahead of the Olympics Day Tooke Run due to take place on June 20 in Bushenyi.
The announcement was made during a media briefing held at the PIBID Tooke offices in Nakasero, Kampala, on Tuesday morning.
The run will feature competitions in the 5km, 10km, and 21km races, with prize categories announced for both men and women.
The Uganda team for Junior olympics in Senegal in October this year
According to the prize structure released, 21km runners will compete for positions one to five in both the men's and women's categories. Winners in each category will walk away with Shs15 million, while the runners-up will receive Shs9 million.
The athletes finishing third, fourth, and fifth will receive Shs7 million, Shs2.5 million, and Shs2.5 million respectively. The 10km race also carries substantial prize money with equal rewards for men and women. Athletes finishing in positions one to three will be rewarded, with winners taking home Shs5 million, while second and third place finishers will receive Shs4 million and Shs3 million respectively.
Tooke Run 21km and 10km cash award
Tooke run 5km Cash run
The 5km race has been organized into different categories including Under-16 children, individual fun run participants, and walking categories, each carrying separate rewards.
Winners in the Under-16 category for both boys and girls will take home Shs5 million, while second and third place finishers will receive Shs3 million and Shs2 million respectively.
Meanwhile, winners in the 5km individual fun run and walk categories will receive Shs1 million, while second and third place finishers will take home Shs600,000 and Shs400,000 respectively.
The national event commemorates Olympic Day, a global celebration of sport, health, and community engagement, and will be held under the theme: "Move, Learn and Discover for Nutrition Care."
Part of the Uganda team that will take part in the Junior Olympics championship in Daka, Senagal in October this year
Speaking about the theme during the prize endorsement event in Kampala on Tuesday, the Secretary BMC PIBID, who is also the Director General of PIBID/BIRDC and Nutrition Ambassador, Rev. Prof. Florence I. Muranga (PhD), urged Ugandans to embrace the event for the benefit of nutrition, particularly among children.
"We move through sport, health, and community engagement; learn by embracing the science of nutrition and the innovation behind TOOKE products; and discover the power of Uganda’s own resources to fuel athletes, nurture children, and strengthen communities," she said.
The endorsement of the prize money
The Olympic Day Tooke Run is designed to deliver impact across several national priorities, including raising nutritional support for vulnerable groups, especially children in the weaning phase; sponsoring Ugandan athletes to participate in the Youth Olympic Games 2026 in Dakar, Senegal; promoting healthy lifestyles and nutrition through communal physical activities; raising awareness about the nutritional value of TOOKE products and their role as a sustainable energy source for athletes; and supporting the banana value chain by increasing visibility and linking it to global markets. President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni Tibuhaburwa has been confirmed as the chief runner.
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