About The Event
Move, Learn and Discover
For Nutrition-Care
The story behind the Olympic Day Tooke Run
why we run, who we run for, and what we believe sport can do
The Story
A celebration born from community
The Olympic Day Tooke Run is a mass-participation athletic event that brings together communities, athletes, and nutrition advocates in Bushenyi District. Held on Olympic Day, the event fuses sport, health, and culture celebrating the banana as Uganda’s powerhouse of nutrition while empowering the farmers who grow it.
We are not just building a race. We are building a bridge between rural communities and international stages, between farmers and markets, between children with dreams and the pathways that can take them there.
The Heart Behind the Run
Meet Grace
She is 14. She has never owned running shoes. But she outruns every boy in her village.
Grace’s dream is to wear the Ugandan colours at the Youth Olympic Games. The Tooke Run is her only pathway. When you register, you help build a bridge from a banana farm to an international stadium.
“I want to run so the world knows my village exists. The banana gave me energy. The Tooke Run gave me hope.”
Event Objectives
Why We Run
The Tooke Run is more than a race. It is a movement for health, nutrition,
and community prosperity. Four core objectives guide everything we do.
1
Weaning Phase
Raise nutritional support for vulnerable groups in our country under the weaning phase.
2
Active Lifestyle
Encourage the adoption of healthy lifestyles through mass participation in running and physical activity across Ugandan communities.
3
Tooke Power
Raise awareness of the nutritional value of bananas (tooke) and their role as a key energy source for athletes and everyday families.
4
Farmer Empowerment
Support and empower banana farmers in Bushenyi District through market linkages, product visibility, and sustainable farming practices.
5
Future Olympians
Identify and support talented Ugandan athletes on pathways to the Youth Olympic Games 2026 in Dakar, Senegal.
Race Day Experience
What to expect on June 20th
A celebration of sport, culture, and nutrition set in the heart of Uganda's banana-growing country.
Bushenyi District, Uganda
Set in the rolling and beautiful highlands of South-western Uganda, Bushenyi is one of the country's most fertile and lush green regions home to vibrant communities and some of the finest banana farms in East Africa.
June 20 - Olympic Day Week
Run and celebrated in the Olympic Day, connecting Uganda's communities to the IOC's global celebration of sport, excellence and the spirit of friendship that binds athletes across the world.
Culture, Tourism and Celebrations
Local performances, farmer market stalls, cultural displays, post-event tourist engagements and a vibrant community festival and markets that turns race day into a full celebration of Uganda’s lifestyle.
Tooke Nutrition Showcase
Live nutrition demonstrations, expert talks on banana-powered sports performance and tooke-product tastings and sampling that bring the science of nutrition alive for every participant.
Event Theme
"Move, Learn and Discover
For Nutrition-Care"
Our theme reflects the spirit of the entire event. We move through running, walking, and joyful physical activity. We learn about the nutritional value of locally grown food, especially the banana. And we discover the potential within our own communities to lead healthier, more active lives.
The banana, Uganda’s most iconic crop is not just food. It is fuel, culture, and community. On June 20th, it becomes the symbol of a nation in motion.