This year Kibo Palace Hotel marked eleven years of great and strong partnership with the prestigious Kilimanjaro Premium Lager International Marathon, one of Africa’s premier destination marathons.
According the Kibo Palace Group Operations Director, Beatrice Laswai It has been more than a decade of excitement and rich experience that they have enjoyed so far.
She is quick to point out that there has been increased brand recognition as Kibo Palace Hotel has experienced heightened visibility, helping to strengthen their brand presence among regional attendees and international participants.
As one of the ticket collection points in Arusha over all the years, she says this has allowed the hotel to directly engage with the community, establishing goodwill and a positive image as an active, supportive local business.
The director further notes that this event has in a special way strengthened relationships with partners, other sponsors, and vendors while giving the hotel employees a sense of participation and excitement, leading to enhanced staff morale and collaborative spirit.
“Playing a role in such events aligns with our corporate social responsibility objectives, as it supports events that promote health, tourism, and economic development in the area,” she stresses adding that on the whole, the experience of sponsorship has yielded a blend of opportunities that contribute meaningfully to the growth and development of Kibo Palace Hotel, amplifying both community presence and hospitality excellence.
Asked on the source of inspiration to continue sponsoring the event all these years, she says supporting local events like the Kilimanjaro Marathon allows Kibo Palace Hotel to strengthen its ties with the community. By being consistently involved, the hotel shows its commitment to the local area, fostering goodwill and a sense of shared purpose.
She further notes that the Sponsorship provides Kibo Palace Hotel with significant exposure. The event attracts participants and spectators from various regions, offering a platform to showcase the hotel’s brand to a wider audience, which can lead to increased bookings and patronage.
Since the marathon draws both domestic and international participants, contributing to the local tourism industry, by supporting the Kilimanjaro International Marathon, Kibo Palace Hotel helps stimulate economic activities in Moshi and the surrounding areas, benefiting local businesses, including hospitality sectors.
According to Beatrice, endorsing an event focused on physical fitness aligns with promoting a healthy lifestyle.
On customer engagement and loyalty, she says by participating and sponsoring ticket number collection, Kibo Palace Hotel engages directly with marathon participants, creating positive experiences that lead to increased customer loyalty. “This involvement provides touch points for interaction beyond traditional hospitality settings,” she explains.
Beatrice confirms that Kibo Palace Hotel sent participants to this year’s event that has also saw their Chairman and Managing Director, Vincent Laswai featuring and completing 21km successfully amid applauses from the hotel staff and other participants.
According to Beatrice, the hotel provided regular health assessments to evaluate fitness levels and address any medical concerns before race day while on mental preparation, the hotel offered workshop sessions on mental strategies for endurance sports.
Sponsors of this year’s edition included the Main Sponsor – Kilimanjaro Premium Lager in the 42.2 kilometers category, while YAS is the official sponsor of the Half Marathon (21 km), and CRDB Bank sponsors the 5 km Fun Run.
Official Supporting Sponsors – Kilimanjaro Water and TPC Sugar, while Official Partners are – GardaWorld Security, Toyota Tanzania, Columbia Sportswear, Simba Cement, Harleys Healthcare Solutions and ALAF Limited. Official race suppliers are Salinero Hotel, Kibo Palace Hotel Arusha, and Keys Hotel Moshi.
The event, which took place on Sunday 22 March 2026 is organized by Kilimanjaro Marathon Company Limited every year in Moshi while Wild Frontiers Events are responsible for all the inbound travel and international marketing of the event.
