Soweto Marathon, dubbed the People’s Race, will not take place this year; not while the founders of the Soweto Marathon Trust (SMT) are still alive.
This is according to Stan Itshegetseng, spokesperson for the Soweto Marathon, who was speaking at a press briefing held on Friday, September 12, at Booysen Hotel, Johannesburg.
“For years, the Soweto Marathon has been run on the first Sunday of November. For 2025, that date was formally applied for by SMT, approved by Central Gauteng Athletics (CGA), and entered into the official CGA race calendar as 2 November 2025.
“Yet, inexplicably, a new NPC, formed only around May/June 2025, has now been granted a race date of 30 November 2025, effectively usurping the rightful organisers, SMT. This raises profound governance questions. Why would CGA, an entity that has itself been placed under administration by Athletics South Africa (ASA), allocate a date to a body barely three months old?
“Why would a race already approved and entered for 2 November 2025 be shifted to imposters? What does this say about the integrity of CGA’s processes and adherence to its own constitution, which requires race applications to be made a full year in advance?” asked Itshegetseng.
For this reason, he said, the People’s Race will not go ahead.
‘Over my dead body’
“I want to warn CGA, ASA, and all the clubs registering for this race: the Soweto Marathon will not take place this year, not even on November 30. It will happen over my dead body, they’ll have to kill me first. I am warning the clubs because by registering for this race, they are throwing their money away, and they will not be able to recover it.
“We will not be bullied, hijacked, or robbed of the People’s Race. The Soweto Marathon is not for sale, it is not for fraudsters, and it is not for sponsors who disregard the law. We will defend it in court, in Parliament, before World Athletics, and, if need be, we will defend it in the streets of Soweto. This marathon belongs to the people, and over our dead bodies will imposters steal it,” he said, adding that they are also disappointed in the main sponsor, African Bank.
“Even more alarming is the reported conduct of African Bank, who appear willing to ignore their contractual relationship with SMT in favour of questionable structures. We are asking ourselves: what due diligence was performed before recognising a three-month-old NPC? Are the auditors and the board of this institution comfortable with the risks? This is reckless corporate behaviour. At worst, it suggests complicity. Either way, it undermines trust in corporate South Africa,” said Itshegetseng.
New applicant hampers race plans
On September 4, CGA general manager Mandla Radebe confirmed that the Soweto Marathon Trust applied for the race date last year. However, he explained that someone from another entity (NPC) signed the application letter.
“The person who signed was originally part of the Trust but later opened another entity. As CGA, our role is only to regulate the race, not to run it. That’s why we asked both parties to resolve their issues. We cannot decide who must host the Soweto Marathon,” said Radebe at the time.
Both African Bank and Radebe were approached for comment but had not responded at the time of publication.
