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AFRICAN BANK SOWETO MARATHON, HALF & 10 KM (2024)
DATE 03 November 2024
TIME 05h30
ORGANISERS The Soweto Marathon Trust
DISTANCE 10km, 21.1km, 42.2km
PROVINCE Gauteng
START VENUE Johannesburg Expo Centre,NASREC,Johannesburg
PRE-ENTRY CLOSING DATE 30 September 2024
RACE WEBSITE CLICK HERE
PRIMARY CONTACT
NAME Race Organiser
NUMBER 061-9171001
EMAIL info@sowetomarathon.com
FAX
HOME NUMBER
WORK NUMBER
SECONDARY CONTACT
NAME
NUMBER
EMAIL
FAX
HOME NUMBER
WORK NUMBER
AFRICAN BANK SOWETO MARATHON, HALF & 10 KM (2024)

ENTRY DETAILS



All events are strictly pre-entry. Registration takes place at Race Pack Collection at FNB Stadium during the three days of the Soweto Marathon Expo preceding race day. Grand Masters and Students enjoy discounted entry.




AFRICAN BANK SOWETO MARATHON, HALF & 10 KM (2024)

DIRECTIONS

Race Start Coordinates: -26.23628449777776, 27.984790205955505 

Race Finish Coordinates: 0.0,0.0 

AFRICAN BANK SOWETO MARATHON, HALF & 10 KM (2024)

THE RUN



Most of the hard work in the Soweto Marathon is done after the halfway mark. Your early discretion will pay dividends later on. As you charge down Rand Show Road into South Africa’s most famous township you may be lulled into false sense of security. Just remember the closing stages of the race have some testing pulls in them. The route takes you into the historic heart of Soweto and by the 10-kilometre marker you will have to skip around the early morning hustle and bustle of Walter Sisulu Square.

Onwards to the Regina Mundi Church. This is the largest Roman Catholic Church in South Africa. During the struggle years it was a gathering point for the people of Soweto and is often referred to as "the people's church". From 1995 to 1998 Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu presided over the Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings at Regina Mundi. Just after the halfway mark at the Soweto Theatre is the Morris Isaacson High School. A small landmark to be sure, its historical significance is large. On 1 May 1993 Nelson Mandela visited the school to celebrate the school's role in the Soweto Uprising and nation's transformation. The second half of the race takes you into Vilakazi Street. This is the only street in the world that was once home to two Nobel Peace Laureates, Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. As you wind and climb the hill you will also pass Uncle Tom’s Community Hall and the Hector Pieterson Museum and Memorial which commemorate the 1976 student uprising. A good time to reflect on our country’s robust recent past.

By now the halfway mark is gone and before a climb that will test your mind as much as it will your body. There is some respite and the downhill stretch to the 30-kilometre marker is welcome. Here, as the U2 rock band romanticised, is the ‘Street With No Name’. Bite down hard; the race begins from this point. This is more than just a tour through the warm heart of Soweto, it is a journey through our tumultuous history. To be sure the route is an undulating one, testing at times but it is a passage full of great reward, made extra special by the people of Soweto. Heta bra, what a race! The half marathon and 10 kilometre events are easy, uncomplicated runs, moderate in their challenge. The last three kilometres are downhill and will give you a fast finish.


Type Circular
Sub Event Road Running
Difficulty Rating 0
AFRICAN BANK SOWETO MARATHON, HALF & 10 KM (2024)

MEDIA RELEASE
Race Name Release Date Media Release
African Bank Soweto Marathon, Half & 10 km (2024) 01 October 2024
Africanbank Soweto Marathon
AFRICAN BANK SOWETO MARATHON, HALF & 10 KM (2024)

ORGANISER
NAME The Soweto Marathon Trust
PROVINCE Central Gauteng
EMAIL thesecretary@sowetomarathontrust.com
WEBSITE CLICK HERE
ADDRESS c/o Central Gauteng Athletics Germiston Stadium Delville Road North Germiston South

CONTACT PERSON
NAME
PROVINCE
EMAIL
NUMBER
ADDRESS

RACES BY THIS CLUB
TYPE PROVINCE RACE DATE VENUE CONTACT NUMBER
Gauteng African Bank Soweto Marathon, Half & 10 km (2025) 02 November 2025 Johannesburg Expo Centre NASREC Johannesburg Race Organiser 061-9171001
AFRICAN BANK SOWETO MARATHON, HALF & 10 KM (2024)

EDITORS NOTES



EDITORS NOTES

If there is one marathon every South African needs to do it is this one. Known as the People’s Race, it could equally be called the friendly marathon based on the ever present crowd support and encouragement. The streets are lined by the community cheering, chanting and encouraging you over what is certainly a challenging route, one that is filled with the history that forged the new South Africa.



Time Limit: 06:00

Finishers: 8000

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Runners' Guide to Races in South Africa