Run Botswana.
Feel Africa.
Run for your hero™. Discover Botswana.
Gaborone, Botswana — Sunday, 21st March 2027
52 km Ultra · 21 km Run · 10 km Run
Registration opens 1 December 2026
Race date confirmed
21st March 2027
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Days
Why Gabs Ultra
Not another city marathon. The launch of an African destination race.
The Race
A premium endurance event built to international standards, with a confirmed 52 km flagship on the roads of Gaborone.
Discover the race02Botswana
One of Africa's safest, most stable and most extraordinary countries — the Okavango, the Kalahari, Chobe and a warm, modern capital.
Feel Botswana03The Movement
You are early. Founding Runners get first access, first news and a place in the story of the race from day one.
Join the founding generation01 — The Race
Built to be world-class.
Gabs Ultra is designed from the start as an international event: an honest road course through Gaborone, a premium race-day experience, and a finish that feels like the beginning of something.
- Host city
- Gaborone, Botswana
- Founding edition
- 21st March 2027
- Surface
- Road
- Flagship
- 52 km
The roads of Gaborone
Fast. Open. Unforgettable.
52 km
The Gabs Ultra
The flagship distance. Full route details to be announced.
21 km
21 km Run
A longer endurance challenge. Full route details to be announced.
10 km
10 km Run
A shorter challenge. Full route details to be announced.
RUN FOR YOUR HERO™
Every runner has a reason. Every reason has a name.
Run for someone special. Keep your dedication private. Or simply run for the love of running. Every runner belongs at Gabs Ultra.
Some of us run for a parent who believed in us. Some for a friend, a coach, a child — or someone whose memory we carry. If you wish, you can dedicate your race to the person who moves you: living or remembered, spoken aloud or held quietly in your heart. A hero is a metaphor, never a must — chasing a PB, running for fun or coming for Botswana are just as welcome.
When official registration opens, you'll be able to add your hero's name to your race bib — and on race day, a planned "I RAN FOR MY HERO!" photo backdrop will be waiting at the finish. Always optional. Always yours. No dedication is required — ever.
One race. A personal purpose. A remarkable destination.
Come for the race. Run with purpose. Stay for Botswana.
02 — The Destination
Feel Botswana.
The race is the reason to come. Botswana is the reason you'll never forget it. Peaceful, welcoming and astonishingly beautiful — this is a country made for a running trip.
Nature
The Okavango Delta
A UNESCO World Heritage wetland in the middle of the Kalahari. Few places on earth feel this alive.
Wildlife
Africa, up close
Elephants, big cats, giraffes and endless birdlife across some of the continent's most protected wilderness.
Culture
Botho, the Botswana way
A culture of respect, hospitality and humility. Visitors arrive as strangers and leave as family.
The capital
Gaborone
Modern, safe and easy to reach. A capital city with Kgale Hill on its doorstep and space to breathe.
Safe, stable, English-speaking and visa-friendly for many nationalities. Botswana is one of Africa's easiest countries to fall in love with.
Discover Botswana03 — The Movement
Become a Founding Runner.
Every great race has a first generation. The ones who were there before the world caught on. Join now and you're in the story from the beginning.
- First access when registration opens
- Route and distance announcements before the public
- Founding Runner recognition in the story of the race
- Travel packages and training plans, early
The Journey
Follow the road to race day.
From first announcement to the start line — every milestone, route reveal and behind-the-scenes story, told as it happens.
- 01Done
Announcement
Gabs Ultra is revealed to the world. Gaborone, Botswana, 21st March 2027.
- 02Now
Founding Runners
The first generation signs up and shapes the race with us.
- 03Coming
Route reveal
The 52 km course through and around Gaborone is unveiled.
- 04Coming
Registration opens 1 December 2026
Founding Runners hear first. Joining the list is free and is not a paid race entry.
- 05Coming
Travel & training
Destination packages, training plans and the Gabs Ultra Training Club.
- 06Coming
Race week
Runners from across Africa and the world arrive in Gaborone.
Travel & Experiences
Run the race. Stay for the country.
We're shaping race-plus-safari itineraries with Botswana travel specialists. Combine your finish line with the Okavango, Chobe or the Makgadikgadi Pans.
Join the travel waitlist
Be first to hear when destination packages, hotel partners and group travel options are released.
Travel informationGlobal community
Gabs Ultra is reaching the world.
The map lights up each country people tell us they come from when they join our Founding Runner, newsletter, travel or Training Club lists. Founding Runners, Locations and Running clubs count Founding Runner signups only.
- 5
- Countries
- 116
- Founding Runners
- 28
- Locations
- 50
- Running clubs
Represented so farBotswana · Namibia · South Africa · United Kingdom · Zimbabwe
Countries reflect self-reported interest across our four opt-in lists, not confirmed or paid race entries. Other numbers reflect voluntary Founding Runner signups. Locations are self-reported, with duplicate labels normalised.
Gabs Ultra Training Club
Train with the world.
A global training community building towards one start line in Gaborone. Plans, group runs and virtual challenges — built with and for the founding generation.
- Structured build-up plans towards 21st March 2027
- Group runs and virtual challenges with runners worldwide
- Coaching notes on heat, altitude and race-day pacing in Gaborone
- Community on Strava and WhatsApp once channels launch
Corporate Heroes Challenge
Healthier people. Stronger teams.
Represent your company. Build healthy habits. RUN FOR YOUR HERO™ — or simply run for yourself. A workplace wellness challenge building towards the 10 km, 21 km and 52 km on 21 March 2027.
Founding corporate teams will appear here as they are confirmed.
Partners
Build Africa's next great destination race with us.
We're speaking with brands, tourism bodies and media partners who want to be part of the founding edition. Partnership tiers are being finalised — start the conversation early.
Media & Gallery
See the story.
Stay close to the race
Route reveals. Registration windows. Botswana stories.
A short, occasional newsletter from the organisers: race news, Botswana inspiration and inclusive hero stories — shared only with the storyteller's explicit opt-in. Everything important, nothing else.