When you think of a race, the finish line is always the goal. But Kalumbila Town is not like any other town. Here, much effort is made about going the distance. Bringing a small town to life, full of colour and community underlined how Kalumbila Town is open to the world.

There were many winners on October 4, 2025 at the exciting Kalumbila Challenge. But the podium finish was reserved for the small, charming community that is defying age-old precedents about life in a Zambian mining town.

This was a small town’s victory lap. Not just the runners, young and old, differently abled or new in town. Or the cyclists exploring new trails in the town. The Kalumbila Challenge was a victory lap for Kalumbila Town in its amazing race to truly become the Happiest Town in Africa.

The Challenge turned the Sentinel School grounds into a festival of motion, music and competition. It has grown into a full-blooded celebration of the body and the place that hosts it — and Kalumbila Town, with its unbeaten paths, cool, tree-lined trails and stretches of nature provide a perfect backdrop.

By day’s end, trails smoothed into stories — of first timers who ran farther than they thought, of elders who walked for pride, of neighbours who discovered common ground on a dusty route. The Challenge didn’t just test fitness; it celebrated what people can build together. If a town can host an event this joyful and inclusive, you begin to see why Kalumbila Town is spoken about as a town on the move.

Something special is happening in the town and it was showcased during the Kalumbila Challenge – where diversity, ambition, endurance and vision were showcased. And the same thing can be said about the town.