Mountain Valley Marathon & Music Festival Set to Deliver One Epic Weekend in Zimbabwe’s Eastern Highlands

The scenic Eastern Highlands will come alive on 26 September 2026 as athletes, music lovers, tourists, and adventure seekers gather for the inaugural Rainbow Tourism Group (RTG) Nyanga Mountain Valley Marathon & Music Festival, a unique event combining endurance sport, entertainment, and destination tourism into one unforgettable experience.

Organized under the theme “One Epic Weekend!”, the event will feature races across four categories—3km, 5km, 10km, and the 21km Half Marathon—providing opportunities for runners of all abilities to participate in one of Zimbabwe’s most exciting new sporting events.
The route promises to present uphill and down hill elevations – literally mountains and valleys – creating some exciting challenges which will be a true test to the runners.

The marathon will culminate in a major music festival featuring celebrated award-winning Zimbabwean music superstar Jah Prayzah, creating an exciting fusion of sport, culture, wellness, and entertainment.

Positioning the Eastern Highlands as a Sports Tourism Destination

The RTG Mountain Valley Marathon & Music Festival forms part of broader efforts to promote sports tourism and showcase the Eastern Highlands as one of Africa’s most attractive destinations for outdoor recreation, wellness tourism, and events.

The event is expected to attract participants from across Zimbabwe, Southern Africa, and international markets, generating economic benefits for local communities, accommodation providers, transport operators, and tourism businesses.

RTG Group Chief Executive said
“At Rainbow Tourism Group, we are continuously seeking innovative ways to showcase Zimbabwe’s tourism assets while creating memorable experiences for travellers.

The Mountain Valley Marathon & Music Festival perfectly aligns with our vision of promoting destination-based tourism through sport, culture and entertainment.

The Eastern Highlands is one of Zimbabwe’s most treasured destinations, and we are delighted to partner with stakeholders to create an event that not only attracts visitors but also stimulates local economic growth and community participation.

We believe this event has the potential to become one of the country’s flagship annual tourism and sporting events.”
— Mr. Tendai Madziwanyika, Group Chief Executive, Rainbow Tourism Group

Experienced Marathon Organising Partner

The event is being organized in partnership with Musabvunda, one of Zimbabwe’s most respected and experienced marathon event organizers, with a proven track record in delivering world-class endurance sporting events. Musabvunda has successfully organized and supported several major marathons across the country and some community and corporate road races, including the United Methodists Half Marathon, St. Giles Cerebral Palsy, St. Ignatius, and St. George’s Colleges, that have attracted thousands of participants from across Zimbabwe and beyond.

Musabvunda Sound Bite

“The Mountain Valley Marathon & Music Festival presents a unique opportunity to combine competitive running with destination tourism and entertainment. Having organised and supported some of Zimbabwe’s successful marathon events over the years, we understand what it takes to deliver a safe, professionally managed and memorable race experience. As Musabvunda we strongly believe in the fact that a healthy mind which leads to maximum productivity and capacity utilisation which in turn makes the world a better place a mile at a time.

The Eastern Highlands provides an exceptional setting for runners, and we are excited to bring our expertise to an event that will undoubtedly become a highlight on Zimbabwe’s sporting calendar going forward.”
— Musabvunda

Registration is now open for participants to register for the following 3km Fun Run, 5km Run, 10km Run and 21km Half Marathon. The registration is US$20 (includes race pack). The Music Festival Early Bird Tickets cost Standard Ticket: US$10 and VIP Ticket: US$20.

There are special marathon accommodation packages to support participants travelling to the Eastern Highlands, special accommodation and transport packages have been negotiated ranging from US$85 per night for bed and breakfast.

About the Mountain Valley Marathon & Music Festival

The Mountain Valley Marathon & Music Festival is a premier sports and entertainment event owned and organised by Rainbow Tourism Group designed to promote health, wellness, tourism, cultural exchange and economic development while showcasing the unique natural beauty of Zimbabwe’s Eastern Highlands.
By combining a professionally organised marathon with a major music festival, the event offers participants and spectators a complete destination