Rwanda Athletics Federation (RAF) has reassured athletes and fans that the 16th Kigali International Peace Marathon will take place this year and October 4 has been set as the tentative date for the competition.

Usually, the annual event is organised mid-year, either in May or June, but it has so far been postponed twice due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Months after its postponement, there had been questions about whether the competition would happen or be cancelled this year, but RAF has insisted that the Kigali Peace Marathon ‘must’ take place in October – about 3 months from now.

"It was unavoidable to postpone it in May given the unprecedented times of the Coronavirus,” Fidele Mubiligi, the RAF president, said in an interview with Times Sport on Tuesday.

But, he further noted, now the situation is better and a bit more predictable.

"We are confident the Peace Marathon will take place in October. For international participants, we hope the air travel will be back to normal for them to fly in, but, if not, the race will go ahead with only local participants,” he added.

Athletics is one of the non-contact sports disciplines that were cleared to start training last month after nearly three months under lockdown, and Mubiligi is optimistic that runners will be in great shape for the 2020 edition of the Kigali Peace Marathon.

Mubiligi also revealed that RAF is due to hold a meeting with the Ministry of Sports next week to discuss the tentative date and course map of the race.