The Mount Cameroon Race of Hope is an highly competitive race held annually on the highest mountain in western Africa—Mount Cameroon, which rises 4,095 meters in Cameroon’s South West Region usually in February, since 1973. It begins at the Molyko Sports Complex in the regional capital, Buea, and follows a long, winding path up Mount Cameroon National Park and back, spanning a total distance of 38 kilometers. Each year during the race which was initially organized by Guinness Cameroon SA, but has been under full government control since 2005 international runners and local hopefuls alike usually divided into men’s and women’s divisions, and further subdivided into professionals, youth, and casual runners brave the difficult volcanic landscape and unpredictable weather conditions to participate. Each winner in the men’s and women’s professional divisions is today entitled to FCFA 10,000,000. Since the race was founded no male runner has managed to win three consecutive editions and claim the title “King of the Mountain.” Shey Joseph Konyuy, narrowly missed the crown in 2001, after falling short of winning for a third consecutive time. Yet ironically, he claimed victory the following year. In addition to this, there’s another unforgettable episode when, in 2007, victory eluded him in a brutal way. As he neared the finish line as the frontrunner, he realized his race ticket was missing. Forced to return to the summit to retrieve another, he still managed to bum-shuffle to the finish line and secure a dignified fourth place. “I was bent on crossing the finish line, even if that meant rolling myself there,” the now 48-year-old father of eight says “The only magic in winning this race is determination and regular training. Today, pastors use my story during sermons to inspire hope in their Christians.” Female runners have achieved that milestone instead. Sarah Liengu Etonge was crowned “Queen of the Mountain” in 1999 after winning the women’s division for four consecutive years. She first entered the race as a 27-year-old single mother of seven and went on to win three more editions, making her the only seven-time champion in any category. “I was a farmer before I started taking part in the race, usually cultivating maize, beans, cocoyam, and pepper,” says Etonge, who dropped out of primary school due to financial hardship. “And I didn’t just walk to the farm, which was located in the mountains I ran there every time. That was already a form of training. Running is my passion.” Now 61, Etonge stopped competing in 2014 after finishing seventh, but returned to win the veterans’ category in the 2025 race. She admits that running is an “exacting task,” yet has taken it up as a habit. “I feel sweetness in my body after running,” she says. “I’m so used to running that if I go a week without it, I feel sick. Once I run, I feel relieved and younger. I don’t run for fun or money it’s a calling.” The majority of the race’s winners have been Cameroonian, a trend that has held since 2010. Chief Endeley attributes this to the traditional hunting lifestyle of the local population. “The locals who have won this race didn’t win because they were professional runners,” he says. “They won it because of the nature of their hunting lifestyle especially chasing bears and antelopes on the mountain.” But in 2009, the Cameroonian government established the Mount Cameroon National Park, greatly restricting local hunting and farming activities and, in turn, their chances of winning. Nearly 70 percent of the racecourse winds through the park. 86 87 Spanning about 580 square kilometers (224 square miles), this “haven for biodiversity,” as it has come to be known, is home to numerous species found nowhere else in the world: forest elephants, chimpanzees, the elusive drill (a primate species), and endemic birds like the Mount Cameroon francolin and the green-breasted bushshrike. The park’s plant life is equally diverse. Orchids, ferns, and medicinal flora thrive here, alongside a wide array of rare and endangered reptiles, amphibians, and insects. The terrain itself is dominated by an active stratovolcano, which features a dramatic range of landscapes from lush lowland forests and montane grasslands to rocky volcanic slopes and craters formed by past eruptions. Today, the Mount Cameroon Race and Park are threatened by a violent conflict in Cameroon’s English-speaking regions, where separatists have been fighting government forces since 2016. The war began after the government tried to introduce French in local schools and courts. Over 6,500 civilians have died, and many in the Anglophone community around 20 percent of the population feel sidelined by the French-speaking majority. The war has forced many state rangers to flee the Mount Cameroon National Park, where militias have since set up camp and thousands of civilians have sought refuge in areas of critical biodiversity. The conflict has also taken a heavy toll on the Mount Cameroon Race of Hope. Beginning in 2019, the event saw a sharp drop in attendance due to widespread safety concerns culminating in 2023, when a series of small bomb explosions during the race injured 19 people, including nine athletes. Yet by 2025, the race had regained its momentum. Today, renewed enthusiasm 92 93 around the race is drawing more and more participants many of whom join simply for the joy of running and the love of fitness. What’s important to understand about the Mount Cameroon Race of Hope is that it is not just a sporting event but a vibrant cultural gathering that draws over 5,000 visitors from across Cameroon and beyond. For the local Bakweri people, it ranks alongside Christmas in its significance, being it a memorable occasion marked by feasting, dancing, and communion. Visitors make arrangements months in advance just to be present on race day. This influx brings significant economic benefits to local traders. Yet beyond the festivities, the race carries deep spiritual weight. The power of the mountain god is evident in past events: some runners have died during the race, including Kenyan Charles Kipkorir Kipsang, who collapsed just after finishing in 2024. In other cases, athletes have reported returning from the mountain with the 9s8oles of their shoes completely 99 worn away. “Anyone who brings witchcraft risks facing a stronger spirit that can kill,” says Chief Endeley. Before the race, the Paramount Chief of the host city, Buea, performs traditional rites to appease the god of Mount Cameroon Epasa Moto for a peaceful event. “On the eve of the race, I usually go to the god of the mountain to plead with him to be kind to everyone who has come for the event—be they runners, officials, porters, or cameramen—so they can return home safely,” says Dr. Robert Esuka Endeley, Paramount Chief of Buea. He adds, “Epasa Moto is the mountain itself, the god who helps the Bakweri people during lava flows and volcanic eruptions. The moment you step on it, you are stepping on Epasa Moto.”
Words by Nalova Akua
