Run Victoria Falls on 4 July 2027

Yes. The official race website lists the next edition as Sunday 4 July 2027 in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, and the AIMS world running calendar shows the same date. The race has been held in early July every year since 2022, normally on the first Sunday of the month, so the date fits the established pattern.

The official website states that entries open in March 2027 and are handled through the TopEvents online portal used by the race. Entry usually closes in June or once the field is full, so a group that needs rooms in town should secure accommodation before waiting on race registration.

The programme covers the full marathon at 42.2km, the half marathon at 21.1km, a two runner team relay of 10.5km each, an 18km specially abled category, and a fun run of about 7km. That mix is why running clubs bring non running partners and children along: everyone on the trip gets something to do on the same morning.

It is a road race on sealed roads, not a trail event. The route runs through Victoria Falls town suburbs, out toward the Victoria Falls Bridge, then along Zambezi Drive and Park Way toward the Victoria Falls National Park entrance, passing the Big Tree landmark. The terrain is rolling rather than flat, and the course is officially measured under World Athletics rules, so recorded times count and the race serves as a Comrades Marathon qualifier. A total elevation figure is not published.

July is the dry winter season, with almost no rain. Race morning at the 06:15 start is genuinely cold, commonly between 8 and 13°C, so runners need layers they can discard at the line. By mid morning it is sunny and mild, around 24 to 26°C, with strong sun, so plan for shade and fluids on the return leg.

Provisional 2027 start times are the full marathon at 06h15, the team relay at 06h45, the specially abled category at 06h55, the half marathon at 07h15 and the fun run at 07h45. The final cut off for all distances is 12h30, with a sweep vehicle behind the last runners.

Victoria Falls International Airport, code VFA, sits 18 to 21km from town and is the simplest option. Flying into Livingstone in Zambia works too, with a road transfer and a border crossing on arrival or departure. By road it is roughly a full day from Bulawayo and longer from Harare. We arrange group transfers on whichever route you choose, timed to the race morning.

The KAZA UNIVISA, currently US$50, is issued at Victoria Falls airport and at the Victoria Falls and Kazungula borders, and covers Zimbabwe and Zambia for 30 days with day trips into Botswana's Chobe area. It is not issued at Harare or Bulawayo airports. Visa rules depend on your passport, so we confirm requirements for each group before travel.

Yes. The race names local beneficiaries including the Victoria Falls Anti Poaching Unit, which patrols the route corridor and surrounding land, Ele-Collection, which employs waste collectors to clear plastic around town, the Pristine Victoria Falls Society and the Greenline Africa Trust. Runners can add a donation to these causes during registration.

The race began in 2006 with about 300 runners and has grown into the largest marathon in Zimbabwe. The 2026 edition was reported as a record field of just over 6,000 participants from more than 44 countries, about 14 percent up on the previous year, with entrants arriving from Kenya, South Africa, Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Australia.

Yes. We hold a room block for the group, arrange early or packed breakfasts on race morning, move everyone together to the start, keep a vehicle on standby along the course, and plan recovery and spectator days for the people who are not running. Quote is separate from a standard tour because the timing is fixed by the gun.