West Nile prepares for five-day cycling race across 13 districts

Arua, Uganda | URN | An 800-kilometre cycling race through all 13 districts of West Nile is expected to boost tourism and create business opportunities for local communities as the region prepares to host its first Race The Nile Uganda Ultra from November 23 to 27, 2026.

The five-day self-supported gravel cycling race will start and end in Arua City, taking participants through different communities and tourism attractions across the region. The event is targeting 50 participants, including international cyclists, with organisers reporting that 14 foreign riders have so far registered.

Arua City Senior Tourism Officer Wathum Fred said the race would provide an opportunity to showcase West Nile’s tourism potential as cyclists travel through different communities. Wathum encouraged more people to register and urged residents to support the event and take advantage of the opportunities it presents.

The event will be the first cycling race of its kind to be hosted in West Nile. Organisers say it has been incorporated into the national tourism calendar and is expected to become an annual event. According to the unveiled itinerary, cyclists will be flagged off at Arua Hill Roundabout on November 23 before heading along the Uganda-DR Congo border towards Koboko and proceeding to Yumbe, where they will conclude the first stage.

The second leg will take them from Yumbe through Moyo and Obongi before crossing the River Nile by ferry into Adjumani. They will then proceed through Madi-Okollo, Pakwach, Nebbi and Zombo before returning to Arua City on November 27.

Route architect Michael Adriko said the race would have only four checkpoints across the region, with participants expected to obtain food, accommodation and other necessities from local communities along the route. He said the arrangement was intended to make the race self-supported while ensuring that local communities directly benefit from the event.

Organisers say residents along the designated routes stand to benefit from the expected influx of cyclists, who will be required to purchase food from local vendors, seek assistance from local mechanics in case of bicycle breakdowns and arrange their own accommodation.

The Director of West Nile Cyclists Club, Erima Dema Daniel, challenged communities along the route to prepare and position themselves to benefit from the event. He urged residents to organise their businesses and services to meet the needs of the cyclists as they pass through their respective areas.

Beyond the tourism and business opportunities, the race will offer an unusual incentive to participants, with the winner of the 800-kilometre challenge earning an opportunity to name one of the newly reintroduced white rhinos at Ajai Wildlife Reserve in Madi-Okollo District.

The rhino naming exercise, valued at 10,000 US dollars, will be coordinated by the Uganda Wildlife Authority. Organisers also expect the event to contribute to ecosystem restoration and local community development while promoting the cultural diversity of West Nile.

They say the race will expose infrastructure and service delivery gaps along the route, allowing stakeholders to identify areas requiring improvement. All participants will be connected to GPS tracking devices to enable organisers to monitor their movements and respond to challenges they may encounter during the race.

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