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Marathon legends and champions have officially been announced as ambassadors for the Nelson Mandela Marathon in Cape Town.
The Nelson Mandela Foundation has officially launched the inaugural Nelson Mandela Marathon in Cape Town.
The launch took place at Cape Town City Hall, the site where former President Nelson Mandela addressed the nation following his release from prison in 1990.
The marathon, scheduled for 18 October 2026, will cover a 42-kilometre route through Cape Town and is being described as the world’s first value-based running series focused on human rights.
The event forms part of the newly launched Mandela Legacy Sporting Series, a platform bringing together sporting initiatives linked to social justice, active citizenship and community upliftment.
The series was unveiled at Sanctuary Mandela and comes as the foundation marks 27 years since Mandela established the organisation and stepped down as South Africa’s first democratically elected president.
The sporting series includes the Mandela Day Walk and Run in Johannesburg, the Legacy Ride4Hope from Maputo to Howick, the Nelson Mandela Marathon in Cape Town and the Nelson Mandela Remembrance Walk and Run in Tshwane.
The Foundation says the initiative aims to encourage participation in causes promoting dignity, equality and social justice.
4 Nelson Mandela Marathon ambassadors have been unveiled at a ceremony in Cape Town this evening: Kenyan long-distance icons Catherine Ndereba and Dr Paul Tergat and South African long-distance champions Prudence Seokgodiso and Hendrick Ramaala. Credits: Tando Ntunja pic.twitter.com/EsUREx8e72
— SABC News (@SABCNews) May 18, 2026
Speaking at the launch, the Foundation’s CEO, Mbongiseni Buthelezi, said the platform seeks to unite communities through sport.
“The Mandela Legacy Sporting Series brings together established moments of participation and impact under one platform, while creating new opportunities to mobilise people around active citizenship, solidarity, and social justice.”
The marathon is organised by Golazo in partnership with the Nelson Mandela Foundation and local communities in Cape Town.
Golazo founder Bob Verbeek says Mandela’s legacy inspired the initiative.
“I first visited the country in 2001, 11 years after Nelson Mandela addressed the world from the Grand Parade here only a few steps from where I stand today. Like so many people across the globe, I was inspired by Mandela’s unwavering determination to stand against oppression, his true belief in reconciliation over revenge and in nation-building over division.”
The Foundation says all profits from the marathon will go towards programmes supporting social justice, dialogue and community development.
Registrations for the marathon and related events are expected to open soon.
Marathon legends and champions have officially been announced as ambassadors for the Nelson Mandela Marathon in Cape Town.
They include former marathon world record holder Paul Tergat, former New York City Marathon champion Hendrick Ramaala, four-time Boston Marathon champion… pic.twitter.com/Qx2rOwo3nM
— NelsonMandela (@NelsonMandela) May 18, 2026
