The New York City Marathon stands as not just the largest marathon globally but also as an incredibly impactful charity event. The race draws tens of thousands of participants and spectators from across the United States and around the world, each representing a variety of missions and causes. Runners must pledge their support to a charity to earn their coveted spot in this highly competitive race.

Since 2018, Nyaka has been privileged to be one of the NYC Marathon’s 500 affiliated charities. Our journey began with a small team of five runners who successfully raised $40,000. In 2019, our team expanded to 10 runners, raising an impressive $99,111. The marathon was virtual in 2020 due to COVID-19 but came back stronger than ever in 2021 with our team raising $116,211. Last year was once again record breaking as over $135,000 was raised. This year, we are aiming for our most successful fundraising effort yet.

The NYC Marathon has evolved into a vital component of Nyaka’s annual budget. But it’s not just about the funds. Each of our runners commits to raising not only thousands of dollars that directly benefit our programs in Uganda but also to sharing the transformative work Nyaka undertakes with their personal networks. The more people who become aware of Nyaka’s efforts in Uganda, the more resources we can garner to expand and flourish. We are profoundly thankful for these remarkable commitments.

In a show of unity, Nyaka also organizes a local marathon in Uganda, allowing the community there to run in solidarity with our team in New York City. Representing us in the U.S., our 22 courageous runners hail from 11 different states; New York, Colorado, California, South Carolina, Washington D.C., New Jersey, Virginia, Oregon, Connecticut, Minnesota and Pennsylvania.