The Clean Lusaka Compound Challenge
Run Lusaka · Clean City, Caring City
The Lusaka Marathon is more than a race — in 2026 it powers a city-wide clean-up. Neighbourhoods across Lusaka compete to become cleaner, greener and healthier, and the winning compound is celebrated at the Lusaka Marathon on Race Day, 14 November 2026.
A ring-fenced share of every race entry fee funds the winning compound's prize — so when you run the Lusaka Marathon, you help clean the city too.
Register & be part of itA community clean-up, powered by the marathon
A clean-city competition run at compound/ward level and administered through Lusaka City Council's ward structure — across seven Lusaka compounds over roughly 10–12 weeks ahead of race day. The winning compound receives prize funding — cash and recycled community infrastructure — toward a community project of its choice. It is deliberately civic, not political: the judging authority sits within the Office of the Town Clerk.
Why it matters
Clean Lusaka began as a manufacturer-funded initiative — companies contributing to a central fund administered by the Mayor's Office. The Compound Challenge extends that directly to residents: it gives ordinary Lusaka communities a real stake in the clean-city agenda months before race day, and creates a visible, positive story anchored in real neighbourhoods — not just corporate boardrooms.
Seven Neighbourhoods
The 2026 pilot compounds
Seven compounds take part in the 2026 pilot, each administered at its corresponding LCC ward level — with a pathway to city-wide expansion in 2027.
Kanyama
Lusaka's largest high-density compound.
Chawama
Major southern compound with strong community organisation.
Mandevu
Large northern compound where clean-up makes a real difference.
Chibolya
High-need area with an active transformation story under way.
Matero
Large, established central-west compound with a strong civic identity.
Garden Compound
High-density eastern compound.
Kabwata
Mixed-income area near the CBD and the marathon route corridor.
How It Works
A fair, transparent competition
Timeline
From early/mid September through early November 2026 — roughly 10–12 weeks — with interim inspection checkpoints and final judging in the first week of November. The winner is announced and the prize handed over at the Lusaka Marathon on 14 November 2026, alongside the Mayor's Cheer Fund ceremony.
Judging
Criteria are set and judged by the Office of the Town Clerk, with an oversight panel including a Ministry of Local Government nominee and an independent civil-society / environmental representative. Compounds are scored on waste management, illegal-dumping reduction, drainage, community clean-up participation and recycling practice.
The prize
Funded jointly by a ring-fenced contribution from marathon race entry fees and the Clean City manufacturing fund led by Trade Kings Group. The winning compound receives cash toward a community project of its choice, plus recycled community infrastructure — benches, recycling points and community shelters — a permanent, physical legacy. Second- and third-place compounds receive recognition prizes.
Governance
Modelled on the Mayor's Cheer Fund — independent, transparent and reported quarterly, with full financial and impact reporting to the Ministry of Local Government.
The Bigger Picture
What Lusaka gains
A visible, positive civic story running for three months before the city's flagship sporting event — real neighbourhoods competing to be cleaner, real prize money and permanent infrastructure landing in a real community, and a credible, replicable model the Ministry of Local Government can scale to Ndola, Kitwe and beyond from 2027.
Run for a cleaner Lusaka
Trade Kings Group leads the Clean Lusaka pillar as Founding Partner — a commitment that spans three distinct roles across Run Lusaka 2026 and makes the Group one of the movement's most significant partners.
Clean Lusaka Founding Partner
Trade Kings Group steps forward to lead the Clean Lusaka pillar, with category exclusivity as the non-alcoholic beverage partner recognised across all Clean Lusaka activity — and naming rights on the Clean Lusaka Compound Challenge.
Official Hydration & Beverage Partner
BigTree Beverages Limited keeps every runner going — Vatra water at each hydration station along the 42.2km course, and Fruiticana at the finish line.
Official Kit Partner
Trade Kings Group branding features across runner race packs and the marshal and volunteer uniforms for the full 5,000+ participant field, across both festival days.
A permanent, physical legacy: the winning compound receives prize funding toward a community project of its choice — including recycled community infrastructure produced through Trade Kings Group's manufacturing partners — celebrated on Race Day, 14 November 2026.
Presented by Onelife Communications & Events, Event Manager for Run Lusaka 2026, in partnership with the Lusaka Marathon Organizing Committee and Trade Kings Group — Clean Lusaka Founding Partner.