Deo Kato, Ran Over 8,200 Miles from Cape Town to London

Kato began his run on 24th July 2023, at the Long March to Freedom monument in Cape Town.

He crossed 20 countries across Africa and Europe, including Botswana, Tanzania, Uganda, Sudan, Croatia, France, and finally the UK. The journey took him 18 months, just over 500 days. He ran through deserts, war zones, and unstable regions such as eastern DRC, Sudan, and northern Ethiopia. Some of the street food made him very ill, and muddy roads slowed him in some areas.

Kato was detained for three weeks in South Sudan, held for lacking proper paperwork.In Europe, he was stopped by police frequently and felt unwelcome in places like Croatia, where locals sometimes took his photo and reported him .Despite these challenges, Kato also experienced kindness, In Botswana, he ran alongside a 15 year old multilingual boy, which reminded him of his own youth,In Kenya, children ran with him for five miles on their way to school .A South African farmer hosting him during a desert journey offered food and support.Deo Kato ran to highlight two main issues:

Human migration,  He traced paths from Africa to Europe, showing that migration is part of history and human experience.Another reason is Fight against racism, He pushed back on the idea that African migrants must go back where they came from, by showing their rightful place in society .

Kato crossed the final finish line in Hammersmith, London, after supporters joined him outside Downing Street.Now back in the UK, he plans to share his story through his “Legacy of Hope” project in schools talking about migration and togetherness .

This journey wasn’t just a run, it was a walk through history, hardship, and humanity. Deo Kato’s journey reminds us of the long paths people take when moving across the world and the power of kindness to light the way.