Kilimanjaro Marathon 2027 in Moshi on 7 February

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TANZANIA · SPORT

The Kilimanjaro Marathon is a well-known East African road race, and the 2027 edition falls on Sunday 7 February in Moshi, Tanzania. The organiser moved the race from Sunday 21 March, which makes February the new date for US runners to plan around.

Entries opened on Monday 19 October 2026, and international runners pay US$80 for the full or half marathon at the Kilimanjaro Marathon. This guide covers fees, the deadline, the start times and what a US passport holder needs for the trip.

What the Kilimanjaro Marathon Is and Why It Matters

The Kilimanjaro Marathon is a road race in northern Tanzania with a 42.2 km marathon, a half marathon and a 5 km fun run. The organiser says it has run every year since 2003.

The organiser calls 2027 the 25th anniversary of the race. It also says the full marathon is an official Comrades Qualifier, meaning the time counts toward entry to South Africa’s famous Comrades ultramarathon.

The race is organised by Wild Frontiers Events, a South African company, which also sells the official travel packages. Runners enter online or through the mobile-money service Mixx by YAS.

The date changed in 2026, and AIMS, the international body for distance races, reported the move on Monday 3 August 2026. The race shifted from Sunday 21 March 2027, as first published, to Sunday 7 February 2027.

The organiser’s own pages give 7 February 2027 as the race date, and no reason for the change is published. Plan flights and leave around 7 February, and ignore older listings that still show March.

Entries, Fees and the Deadline

Online entry is through the organiser’s website, and credit cards are accepted. Card payments are quoted in South African rand, so your bank’s exchange rate decides the final amount on your statement.

The organiser’s fee sheet gives three price groups. International runners pay US$80 for the marathon or half marathon and US$20 for the 5 km run.

Tanzania residents, East African work-permit holders and citizens of SADC states pay US$55 for the longer races and US$17 for the 5 km run. SADC is the Southern African Development Community, which includes South Africa and Mauritius.

Tanzanian and East African citizens pay 55,000 shillings (about US$21) for the longer races and 20,000 shillings (about US$8) for the 5 km run. Shilling amounts here use 2,643 shillings per US dollar, the rate on Tuesday 27 October 2026.

Entries close at midnight on Tuesday 15 December 2026, or sooner if the cap is reached. The organiser says no late entries are accepted and the fee is not refundable.

Medals and shirts go to the first 950 marathon finishers and 7,000 half marathon finishers, and the fun run has up to 5,000 places. Groups of 20 or more pay a 10% handling fee, so individual online entries are cheaper.

Race Day, the Stadium and the Course

All three races finish at the MoCU Stadium in Moshi, and the marathon also starts there. MoCU is the Moshi Co-operative University, whose grounds host the event.

On Sunday 7 February 2027 the marathon starts at 06:30, the half marathon at 07:00 and the fun run at 07:30. The final cut-off for the marathon and the half marathon is 12:30.

The half marathon starts at the Sokoine Road gate of the university, and the fun run starts on Uru Road. All races run on the foothills of Kilimanjaro, but the organiser says the roads are not fully closed.

You collect your race number in person, because the organiser does not allow collection after hours or on race day. Dar es Salaam offers Friday 29 to Sunday 31 January 2027 at Mlimani City Mall.

Arusha offers Tuesday 2 and Wednesday 3 February at the Kibo Palace Hotel. Moshi offers Thursday 4 to Saturday 6 February at the MoCU Stadium.

Pace setters will run to targets from sub-3:00 to sub-5:30 in the marathon. The rules ban mobile seconding and driving alongside runners.

Travel Packages and Getting to Moshi

Wild Frontiers sells a three-night Kilimanjaro Marathon package at Keys Hotel in Moshi, with breakfast, airport transfers and a guaranteed race entry. Race-day transfers to the stadium are included for guests at Keys Mbokomo.

The same company offers add-ons such as a Serengeti safari, a Kilimanjaro climb or a Zanzibar beach break. Prices are not published, so email [email protected] with your nationality.

The organiser’s race-number points in Arusha and Dar es Salaam suggest where many visitors arrive from. It does not publish flight advice, so check airlines directly.

Tips for US and Foreign Visitors

Tanzania’s embassy fee schedule puts the visa for US citizens at US$100, valid for one year with multiple entries. You can apply online as an e-visa or get the visa on arrival, so check the immigration service before you fly.

Check your passport’s validity and blank pages against Tanzania’s current entry rules before you book. The organiser gives no entry or visa advice of its own.

The US State Department publishes a travel advisory and entry information page for Tanzania. Read the current advisory level before you book, because it can change before February.

The US Embassy in Dar es Salaam is the contact point for US citizens in an emergency. Register your trip with the State Department’s traveler enrollment program before you leave.

Tanzania has also written a travel insurance rule for foreign arrivals on the mainland. The law firm Clyde & Co reported in September 2026 that Regulation 6(1) sets the premium at US$44 for 92 days of cover.

The trade body ATTA and Citizen Digital in Kenya report that the rule applies from Thursday 1 October 2026. The Kilimanjaro Marathon organiser also strongly suggests travel insurance, so check the official portal for how to pay.

Our Tanzania healthcare guide explains why a policy with medical evacuation matters. Climbers who add a Kilimanjaro trek should know that wildfires closed routes earlier this autumn.

As of Tuesday 13 October 2026, Tanzania had reopened three routes after the fire. Ask your trek operator for the current status before you pay a deposit.

What Is Not Confirmed Yet

The organiser has not published a reason for moving the race from March to February. It also gives no flight, hotel or transport advice outside its own packages.

The race website does not say how many places are left in each distance. Check the entry page often, since the cap can close entries before 15 December.

Package prices are not published on the organiser’s pages. No side events or expo details are announced yet.

Weather for race morning cannot be confirmed this far ahead. One past runner on the organiser’s site called the course hilly and the day rather hot.

Whether Tanzania enforces its new travel insurance rule at every airport on arrival is not confirmed. Check the official portal and the US Embassy before you travel.

What Comes Next

If you plan a longer trip, Zanzibar’s music festival follows about six weeks after the race. Our guide to Sauti za Busara in Zanzibar covers it from Friday 19 to Sunday 21 March 2027.

Enter early, because the Kilimanjaro Marathon can close entries once its cap is reached. Then check the organiser’s news page before you travel for any change of plan.

More: Tanzania news in English, every day from The Rio Times.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the Kilimanjaro Marathon in 2027?

The Kilimanjaro Marathon takes place on Sunday 7 February 2027 in Moshi, Tanzania. The marathon starts at 06:30.

How much does the Kilimanjaro Marathon cost for a US runner?

International runners pay US$80 for the marathon or half marathon and US$20 for the 5 km run. Entries close at midnight on Tuesday 15 December 2026.

Do US citizens need a visa for the Kilimanjaro Marathon?

Yes, Tanzania’s embassy fee schedule lists US$100 for US citizens on a one-year multiple-entry visa. Check the immigration service for current rules before you fly.

Sources: Kilimanjaro Marathon, official site (2027 date, entries, race information), accessed 27 October 2026; Kilimanjaro Marathon, 2027 entry fee sheet (PDF), accessed 27 October 2026; Kilimanjaro Marathon, race information and number collection, accessed 27 October 2026; Kilimanjaro Marathon, travel packages (Wild Frontiers), accessed 27 October 2026; AIMS, Race date for Kilimanjaro Marathon changed, 3 August 2026; ATTA, Tanzania’s mandatory travel insurance implementation update, 29 September 2026; Exchange rate basis: 2,643 Tanzanian shillings per US dollar, 27 October 2026; Tanzania High Commission, visa fee rates (USA US$100), accessed 27 October 2026; Clyde & Co, Tanzania introduces mandatory inbound travel insurance (Regulation 6(1), US$44), September 2026; Citizen Digital, Tanzania introduces mandatory travel insurance for foreign visitors, 2026.

This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief