Guinness World Record holder and Abbott World Marathon Majors Six Star finisher Afowiri Kizito Fondzenyuy has praised the team behind the inaugural Yaoundé Cultural Marathon after the event was delivered within two months.
After completing more than 20 marathons across seven continents, Fondzenyuy widely known as the Toghu Marathoner—finally ran through the streets of his home country in an event created to bring together sport, culture, tourism and inclusion. The marathon took place on 18 July 2026, starting and finishing at the National Museum in Yaoundé.
Speaking to Nigerian media platform OtownGist Media, Fondzenyuy said organising the event on new terrain presented several challenges. With only two months available for planning, the team had to quickly understand local systems, coordinate technical operations and build the partnerships required to deliver a safe and engaging first edition.
“This event was planned in two months,” he said. “When I look at the amount of work the team has put in and what we have been able to achieve, it makes me realise that the next edition will be wonderful.”
Fondzenyuy thanked officials of the Cameroon Athletics Federation, volunteers and members of the organising team for working through the pressure of the short preparation period. He said their technical support, local knowledge, commitment and long hours made it possible to turn the idea into a completed event.
The programme featured the 10K Cultural Race, 5K Cultural Run, Children’s 2K Fun Run and Inclusive Walk. The walk welcomed blind and visually impaired participants, wheelchair users, participants using crutches and other persons with disabilities, reinforcing the event’s message that running and community participation should be accessible to more people.
Tchoupteng T. Franck won the men’s 10K race, while Kenya’s Jepkoech Marion claimed the women’s 10K title. Zakariyahu Ibrahim and Otomo Mendouga won the men’s and women’s 5K categories respectively, while Tchoula Tesso Duval and Alangha Ashely Mbong won the boys’ and girls’ Children’s 2K races.
At the finish line, Fondzenyuy described the experience of running in Cameroon as emotional and almost unbelievable. “I can’t believe that I’m standing here in my own country and I’m running in the Toghu, where the Toghu came from,” he said. “I have run around the world representing our country in this attire, and I’m bringing this back home. To me, it’s an amazing feat.”
He said the long-term vision is for the Yaoundé Cultural Marathon to become a homecoming and family travel experience for Cameroonians in the diaspora and international visitors. “I want parents and children to visit Cameroon during their summer holidays, participate in different race categories, explore Yaoundé and experience the richness of our culture together,” he said.
The experience continued beyond the finish line with Cameroonian food, music, dance and shared celebration. Fondzenyuy said future editions would deepen this cultural offering through local languages, storytelling, regional cuisine, traditional performances, crafts and opportunities for visitors to connect with the city. “Running is not for professional athletes. Running is for everybody,” he said. “We want the international audience and the global audience to come and experience our beautiful city.”
