AFRICAN BANK SOWETO MARATHON, HALF & 10 KM
AFRICAN BANK SOWETO MARATHON, HALF & 10 KM
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
DIRECTIONS
Race Start Coordinates: -26.23628449777776, 27.984790205955505
Race Finish Coordinates: 0.0,0.0
AFRICAN BANK SOWETO MARATHON, HALF & 10 KM
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.
AFRICAN BANK SOWETO MARATHON, HALF & 10 KM
ORGANISER
CONTACT PERSON
RACES BY THIS CLUB
TYPE |
PROVINCE |
RACE |
DATE |
VENUE |
CONTACT |
NUMBER |
|
Gauteng |
Spar Ladies 10 & 5 km Race |
01 January 2024 |
Marks Park Judith Road Greenside |
Race Organiser |
|
|
Gauteng |
City 2 City Ultra Marathon, 10 km & 5 km |
31 March 2024 |
Centurion Rugby Club 270 West Ave De Hoewes, Centurion |
CGA Office |
|
|
Gauteng |
City 2 City Ultra Marathon, 10 km & 5 km |
01 January 2025 |
Centurion Rugby Club 270 West Ave De Hoewes, Centurion |
CGA Office |
|
|
Gauteng |
Spar Ladies 10 & 5 km Race |
01 January 2025 |
Marks Park Judith Road Greenside |
Race Organiser |
|
AFRICAN BANK SOWETO MARATHON, HALF & 10 KM
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
ACCOMODATION