Gearing Up For The Victoria Falls Marathon 2025

With just over 20 weeks to go, we’re starting to look forward to one of our favourite annual events on the calendar – The Econet Victoria Falls Marathon!

This year, Zimbabwe’s largest running event will be held on Sunday, 6 July 2025 and we hope to see new and familiar faces at our hotel ahead of the big day.

Every year, Team Palm Hospitality Group puts forward a talented bunch of runners to dominate the time boards – our staff really are amazing. But, among the throngs of participants are also runners from across the continent and the world. In this, its 17th year – we have no doubt that the Victoria Falls Marathon will be bigger and better than ever.

However, if you’re still pondering the pros and cons of entering, allow us to break down some of the race’s finer points for you and convince you that a stay at The Palm River Hotel is only enhanced by the electric atmosphere that the marathon brings to our town.

Why not follow-up a thrilling race experience with a relaxing stay at our gorgeous hotel on the Zambezi? This way, when you return home, you’ll have experienced Victoria Falls as few others have.

The beauty of the Victoria Falls Marathon is that it truly is for everyone.

No matter your fitness level or ability, there will be a category you can participate in to be as much a part of the day as those racing snakes up front! (We say this with all due respect and no small amount of envy.)

The wonderful thing about running (or walking) is that it is such a personal journey and challenge between you and your body. It is something that, with a little – or a lot – of training, we can all improve on; getting stronger, faster and fitter each time we lace up our takkies.

So, in that spirit, here are your race categories:

Full Marathon | 42 km | Open | 20 years & older
Half Marathon | 21 km | Open | 18 years & older
Half Marathon Relay | 21 km | +- 10,5 km per runner | 15 years & older
Fun Run | All ages | Kids younger than 10 years must be accompanied by an adult
Specially-Abled | Wheelchair | Hand-Cycle | Tricycle | May enter half-marathon with minor route modifications

Once you’ve selected the category that suits you best, it’s time to sign up and commit. Having something down on the calendar motivates us to get out on those training runs and with the promise of the beauty of Victoria Falls in the backdrop of your race, you’ll want to be fighting fit so that you can enjoy the scenery.

Your race will start in Victoria Falls town – with a palpable energy of anticipation surrounding you as you wait for your event’s starting gun.

Runners weave through the suburbs – supported by excited crowds and plenty of water stations – before heading towards the Victoria Falls Bridge into Zambia. While you will technically be on Zambian soil, the turning point comes before Zambian immigration, so you will get to see the beautiful Falls from both directions on the bridge.

The presence of the thunderous crash of water alone is enough to buoy your spirits and carry you through the morning on featherlight legs. We dare you to come up with a more scenic ‘marathon moment’!

From here you will continue along Zambezi Drive, winding through various wilderness areas. The routes are well-monitored and marshalled, with a significant chance of seeing wild animals along the way. These sections – where you run through wilderness areas – are manned by armed park rangers to ensure your safety.

For a more detailed breakdown of the different race routes, click here.

• Running over Victoria Falls Bridge – the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia
• Soaking up the incredible scenery that surrounds ‘The Smoke That Thunders’
• A portion of the route follows the mighty Zambezi River
• Passing through wildlife areas and spotting game
• A buoyant atmosphere full of excitement and support from locals
• Regular water and refreshment stations
• All are welcome, from pros to non-runners and those who are specially-abled
• A wonderful logistics team to ensure your pre-event admin and on-the-day race runs smoothly

Victoria Falls is already known as the ‘adventure capital of Africa,’ and this thrilling event adds even more credibility to that title.

The Palm River Hotel is perfectly situated to give prospective runners the best of both worlds – easy access to the race and all surrounding activities, as well as privacy from our slightly removed location further upstream from the Falls.

Browse our suites here and imagine all the wonderful ways you can enjoy your getaway to Zimbabwe in and around your scheduled racing and training time. You truly could not ask for a destination that offers more for outdoor-lovers than our magical corner of the world.

Get in touch at onlinereservations@palmriverhotel.com or book directly via our online booking platform.