While the mountain tested the mettle of over 600 local and international athletes, it simultaneously provided an avenue for women’s economic enablement and sustainable development.
The 31st edition of the Mount Cameroon Race of Hope kicked off on February 20, 2026, in Buea, with Minister of Sports and Physical Education, Narcisse Mouelle Kombi, presiding over the official launch.
The Mt Cameroon Race of Hope, a gruelling 42km race up the slopes of the “Chariot of the Gods,” is a spectacle of athleticism, socio-economic diversity, and unwavering hope for athletes in general and women in particular.
This year, over 600 athletes from ten countries, including Cameroon, gathered at the starting line at 7:00 AM on February 21, all vying for the grand prize of FCFA 10 million.
Since its maiden edition on March 10, 1973, the then Guinness Mt Cameroon Race of Hope, which was created to test athletes’ resistance to West Africa’s tallest peak, has, since its incorporation of the female category in 1983 availed an opportunity for women to generate sustainable income. According to Professor Narcisse Mouelle Kombi, from 1983’s first female winner Emilia Mojoko Ngongja, a three-peat laureate of the race in 1983, 1985, and 1986 respectively, female winners have since then had financial prizes that helped them establish sustainable income-generating ventures. “No matter how small the early prices were, it was a life-changing victory for most women then and now,” the Minister of Sports and Physical Education said.
The gathering supportive crowds jam-packed from the Molyko Omnisport Stadium through Soppo, Buea Town, Upper Farms, Huts One, Two, and Three, to the summit, generously cheering the athletes who did not only see the trophy, but dared the arduous journey as a veritable means to transform passion into a reliable, day-to-day living, while making their community of origin proud.
Echoes of joy filled the air when the first of the 169 registered female athletes for the 2026 edition, 56-year-old Sarah Etonge, also called “Queen of the Mountain”, made a victorious entry into the Molyko esplanade in 1h21mins from departure time, a second consecutive trophy lift in the female veteran category.
Wirba Grace from the North West Region, crowned the female senior category in 5 hours 22minutes and 11 seconds. Her FCFA 10 million win was closely followed by Njeyang Sydney Bonwi and Tata Carine in second and third places, respectively. Side events saw Miss Dohnjenka Rose Nahtum wear the crown of Miss Mt Cameroon, 2026. “I was excited seeing Sarah Etonge win in the veteran female category, as she also won in 2025. Her resilience and consistency have taught me to be a goal getter,” Enanga Sally, a first-time spectator of the race said.
The acclaimed “Queen of the Mountain”, then 27-year-old Sarah Etonge, has since her maiden appearance at the 1996 edition of the Mt Cameroon race of Hope stamped her unchallenged footprint in the women’s senior and veteran categories.
“I participated in the race not just for fun, but to raise money to care for my seven children and close to 30 grandchildren since my husband’s demise,” Sarah lamented.
“The then cash prize of FCFA one million five hundred thousand that was later increased to five million was a significant contributor to sponsoring my children through school, while catering for our basic needs. To date, victory was all the athlete in me targeted,” she said smilingly.
Avenue for generational wealth
Over the years, what started as a trial-and-error venture has birthed an economic hub for Sarah Etonge’s family.
In 2014, the septuple titleholder from 1996 through 2005, was awarded a house by the Cameroon Alethic Federation to symbolise her tigritude as Queen of the Mountain.
According to Sarah, the house’s strategic location at the Molyko Checkpoint-Buea Central market axis has provided an avenue for thriving commercial ventures.
“My son and daughter-in-law have mounted business shades by the road. From both their self-run business schemes and rents collected from tenants, they can care for my offspring and me”.
While the race’s blessings are not Limited to Sarah Etonge, her daughter-in-law, Namondo, says the commercial avenue mounted in front of the Queen of the Mountain’s residence generates substantial income that helps her contribute to her family’s upkeep, thereby lessening the burden on her husband and enabling her to partake in the family’s decision-making process.
“Usually, my profit maxim varies from FCFA 100,000 to over FCFA 200,000 at peak ceremonial periods,” said Namondo. “The moni wey i di sell for ma store di helep me and ma massa for support my pikin dem for school. Ei di make me feel proud and di make ma massa for respect me too. As I no go school, ma pikin them no go be like me,” says Namondo emotionally in Pidgin English.
Hub to Counter Gender Stereotypes
The race that united both international and national participants, as well as spectators, was an opportunity for local vendors to sell their goods and services.
“Relative to last year’s edition, I have made more sales from my food stand. Costing a plate of local Cameroonian meals like Garri and Eru, Fried rice and Chicken, Mbongo Tchobi and ripe plantain, at a varying price of FCFA 2000 and FCFA 2500. With accompanying freshly squeezed natural juice sold at FCFA 500 per cup, my stock is finished, and I am tempted to prepare more,” Mbassi Edith, a food vendor, said happily during an interview at 1:00 pm at the Molyko esplanade.
Mbassi Edith accentuated that “gone are the days when society relegated women to the kitchen. Today, the products of that kitchen are undisputed sources of income with an available market. So, I entreat women to get creative and monetise both our gender roles and God’s given culinary talent”.
While the FCFA 10 million win was the bait for many, strides to acquire a holistic education preoccupied some vendors. “In a single weekend, I have produced and sold more natural drinks and parfait cakes totalling about FCFA 150.000. This rapid sale has hardly occurred in my six-month-old venture. It has not just raised income for my business, but has generated enough income for me to complete my university school fees and still have more plough back income to grow my business,” Puh Carine, a natural drink vendor said.
Platform for Greater Visibility and Sustainable Development
Though the 10 million FCFA ($16,500) local jackpot is a life-changing sum for many, including this year’s champion, Wirba Destiny Grace, a dedicated teacher and football referee, it is merely the trailhead of a much larger global landscape.
Delilah Efeti Monono, South West Regional Delegate for Tourism and Leisure, underscored that beyond the slopes of Buea, athletes at the Mt Cameroon Race of Hope are prime candidates for the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships and prestigious European circuits like the Golden Trail Series.
These international ventures offer not just a podium, but a platform for professional sponsorships, athletic scholarships, and a career that extends far beyond the finish line at Molyko Stadium.
She hammered that “the strength our women display on Mount Cameroon attests to the resilience of the Cameroonian spirit. I encourage our ladies to step out of their comfort zones and look towards the horizon; the world is ready for your speed. Do not just conquer the “Chariot of the Gods” at home, take that fire to the international stage and explore the numerous opportunities in sports tourism and global athletics that rightfully belong to you.”