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By Ross Moyo
It was not horsepower that roared loudest at the 4×4 Club Donnybrook in Harare today on Saturday. It was hope.
The 14th Annual Husqvarna Mud Run — 100% dedicated to KidzCan Zimbabwe — transformed the course into a churning sea of paint, water, and bodies, as thousands braved the pits to save children they have never met.
In an exclusive interview with TechnoMag, Philippa from Husqvarna, the event manager, confirmed the scale:
“We are in our 14th year of this event and it’s a great cause because 100% of everything that we make goes to KidzCan Zimbabwe. We had about just over a thousand pre-sold tickets and then we’ve had way, way more people come through the gates on the day.”
That growth matters. The Mud Run has been running since March 2013 and throughout the past 12 years has raised over a quarter million USD for KidzCan, with $61,000 in 2024 alone. Pippa’s tally for last year is even higher:
“Last year we made about $66,000 and we are really, really hopeful that we can match that number or do even more.”
61 SPONSORS, ONE MISSION
Pippa revealed the corporate backbone that makes the mud stick:
“We have had 61 amazing sponsors come on board for us today and line up the course and make it money. They’ve donated water, they’ve donated paint, they’ve donated t-shirts.”
From Husqvarna South Africa’s Cutting Edge Zimbabwe distributor, to local water bowers who started filling the course three days before — every litre was donated. The toughest pit, she says, is the first:
“The toughest mud pit is at the start. It is quite deep and it is very, very muddy… It’s almost like a swimming pool. They swim across it.”
And unlike most charity runs that hike prices yearly, Husqvarna has frozen the ticket:
“From the beginning, a Mud Run ticket has been $10 and we haven’t changed that price. And you get your T-shirt and you get your ticket and you get to do the race as many times as you want… This year, we decided to introduce an $8 early bird ticket.”
That $8 early bird helped smash the pre-sale quota. The model is clear — low barrier, high volume, maximum fun, 100% proceeds to KidzCan. b633
TechnoMag pressed Philippa on WHY KIDZCAN?
“From the very beginning, Kids Can has been what we do this event for,” Philippa said. “KidzCan were approaching companies who had ideas who wanted to join in and Husqvarna jumped on and said yes, we’ll run with the Mud Run. So yeah, 14 years later and we’re still doing it.”
For those who missed Donnybrook, Philippa’s message is direct: “The Husqvarna Mud Run is an annual event so we do this every year in October. If you didn’t come this year, I hope to see you next year.” Donations can be made directly via KidzCan’s website or at Rainbow Children’s Village.
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