Why Africa 7: Run Your Purpose – Roberto Mandje

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For most of my life, running has taken me across countries, continents, starting lines and finish lines. Other times, it has taken me somewhere internally: teaching me patience, resilience, curiosity and, ultimately, purpose.

Now, running is taking me back to Africa.

Africa 7: Run Your Purpose is a project I’ve been thinking about in different forms for years.

The idea is simple, even if the undertaking isn’t: travel to seven African countries, run a marathon-distance in each one, and use running as a vehicle to tell stories about the people, places and communities I encounter along the way.

My relationship with Africa is personal.

I was born in Barcelona to an Equatorial Guinean mother, spent parts of my childhood living across Africa and Europe, and eventually moving to the United States.

Years later, I had the privilege of representing Equatorial Guinea at the Olympic Games.

So Africa 7 isn’t about discovering a continent that is foreign to me. In many ways, it’s about reconnecting with a part of my own story — while hopefully helping others see more of Africa’s story.

The journey begins where it should: Equatorial Guinea.

From there, I’ll travel to São Tomé & Príncipe, South Africa, Namibia, Ghana, Rwanda, and Angola.

But the miles are only part of it.

RUNNING. COMMUNITY IMPACT. TOURISM.

Those are some of the pillars of Africa 7.

Yes, I’ll run. A lot. But along the way, I want to showcase the landscapes, cultures and communities of each country.

I want to run with local runners, meet people doing meaningful work, experience these places beyond the usual headlines and create something that encourages others to explore Africa for themselves. And wherever possible, I want Africa 7 to leave something behind through community engagement and impact long after I’m gone.

That’s where Run Your Purpose comes in.

I’ve spent a lot of time talking about the idea that running meets you where you are. I believe purpose works similarly. You don’t necessarily find it all at once. Sometimes you discover it by moving, exploring, saying yes to something difficult and seeing where it takes you.

Africa 7 is one of those yeses for me.

WHAT I HOPE COMES FROM IT

Of course, I want to complete all seven runs. But if that’s the only thing people remember, then we haven’t done enough.

I hope Africa 7 introduces people to places they may never have considered visiting.

I hope it connects runners and communities across borders. I hope it creates opportunities to giveback. And I hope someone following the journey sees it and starts thinking about their own version of Run Your Purpose.

It doesn’t have to involve seven countries or 26.2 miles. Your purpose might start with your first run.

That’s one of the things running has taught me over the years: the finish line matters, but what happens along the way is usually the better story.

Africa 7 is the next chapter of mine.

Let’s see where it takes us.

Marathon Schedule

1. Monday, October 5: Malabo, Equatorial Guinea
2. Tuesday, October 6: São Tomé, São Tomé and Príncipe
3. Wednesday, October 7: Cape Town, South Africa
4. Thursday, October 8: Windhoek, Namibia
5. Friday, October 9: Kumasi, Ghana
6. Saturday, October 10: Kigali, Rwanda
7. Sunday, October 11: Luanda, Angola

Follow along on our website: a7runyourpurpose.com