ABOUT LVCR
OUR LAKE.
OUR RESPONSIBILITY.
The Lake Victoria Conservation Run is a people-powered conservation, sustainability, wellness, blue-economy, tourism, culture and public-participation platform anchored in Kisumu and designed for regional and global relevance.
We bring governments, communities, development partners, businesses, schools, youth, researchers, conservation organisations, BMUs, fisherfolk, tourism actors and citizens together around one shared purpose: a healthy lake and a thriving region.
OUR BIG IDEA
THE LAKE IS CALLING.
What if conservation became visible, participatory, measurable and economically valuable?
What if every runner, sponsor, school, volunteer, exhibitor, BMU, community and household could see their contribution grow?
What if Kisumu became the launchpad for a Lake Victoria custodianship movement that acts locally, speaks nationally and connects regionally and globally?
Vision
To build East Africa's leading sustainability, conservation, tourism, blue-economy, culture, sports and public-participation platform around Lake Victoria, supporting a prosperous population in a healthy, sustainably managed environment.
Mission
To mobilise governments, communities, development partners, young people, businesses and environmental stakeholders around practical action, ecosystem restoration, climate resilience and regional transformation.
WHY LAKE VICTORIA MATTERS
Africa's Largest Freshwater Lake. A Region's Shared Lifeline.
The lake supports food systems, fisheries, livelihoods, biodiversity, transport, trade, tourism, culture, sport and regional integration. Its protection is local in action, national in importance, regional in governance and global in relevance.
68,800 km²
Surface Area
45M+
People Depend on the basin
3 Nations
Kenya · Uganda · Tanzania
NO. 1
Africa's Largest Freshwater Lake
THE CHALLENGE
Connected Environmental and Socio-economic Pressures
- Plastic pollution, solid waste and polluted drainage entering the lake
- Declining water quality and stress on freshwater ecosystems
- Pressure on fisheries, habitats, landing sites and fisher livelihoods
- Wetland loss, shoreline encroachment and ecosystem degradation
- A persistent belief that conservation belongs only to governments and NGOs
- Limited structured pathways for young people into green and blue opportunities
- An underdeveloped, under-digitised Lake Victoria visitor economy
WHY WE ARE RUNNING
Because the Lake Gives Life.
The lake feeds families, sustains livelihoods, powers trade, anchors tourism, carries culture and connects communities across East Africa. A healthy lake means healthier fisheries, stronger food security, cleaner communities, more resilient businesses and a more prosperous region.
We are also running to change behaviour — from passive concern to committed custodianship; from “someone should protect the lake” to “this is our lake, and we must protect it together.”
OUR PLEDGE
Every runner counts.Every tree counts.Every kilogram of waste counts.Every pledge counts.
COMMITTED CUSTODIANSHIP
From Passive Concern to Public Ownership
- The lake belongs to governmentThe lake belongs to all of us
- Conservation is distant and technicalConservation is personal, practical and public
- My small action does not matterEvery action counts
- Events end when the crowd leavesImpact continues through programmes, data and annual action
- Pollution is someone else's problemI will not pollute, degrade or support actions that harm the lake
POWERED BY
An Event Produced by the Region, for the Region.
THE LAKE BELONGS TO ALL OF US
Become a Guardian of the Lake.
Make the pledge, join a programme and help carry the movement beyond race day.