The Nelson Mandela Foundation has officially launched the inaugural Nelson Mandela Marathon in Cape Town.
The announcement was made on Monday, May 18 at Cape Town City Hall, where former President Nelson Mandela delivered his first public address after being released from prison in 1990.
Set to take place on Sunday, October 18, the 42km marathon will wind through the streets of Cape Town and is being positioned as the world’s first value-based running series centred on human rights.
Speaking at the launch, CEO of the foundation, Dr Mbongiseni Buthelezi, said the marathon forms part of a broader movement inspired by Nelson Mandela’s belief in the power of sport to unite people and drive social change.
He thanked event partner Golazo, as well as the City of Cape Town and the Western Cape Government for welcoming the initiative to the city.
Buthelezi said the marathon forms part of the newly launched Mandela Legacy Sporting Series, which also includes cycling tours, walks and runs linked to key moments in Mandela’s life and legacy.
“All of this, the sporting series, is inspired by Madiba’s own belief in the power of sport to unite people and drive collective action,” he said.
He stated that the foundation continues to look for meaningful ways for people to engage with Mandela’s values through collective action.
“The Nelson Mandela Marathon is therefore more than a race, it is an experience intentionally designed around Madiba’s values and legacy.”
According to Buthelezi, participants along the 42km route will encounter reflections and quotes from Mandela’s life, encouraging both endurance and reflection.
“There’s something particularly meaningful about hosting this marathon in Cape Town, a city connected to so many chapters of Madiba’s journey,” he said.
Speaking at the launch, Bob Verbeeck, Founder and CEO of Golazo reflected on how learning about apartheid and Nelson Mandela as a teenager shaped his views on justice, equality and sport.
Born in northeastern Belgium in 1960, Verbeeck said he grew up in a Europe rebuilding itself after the Second World War, where ideas of solidarity and cooperation were central. He recalled first reading about Mandela during his teenage years while the anti-apartheid icon was imprisoned on Robben Island.
“Even from a prison cell, his moral authority was growing across the world,” Verbeeck said.
He said his experiences meeting African athletes from countries including Kenya, Nigeria and Morocco during international competitions deepened his understanding of the injustices of apartheid.
“At that moment, I made a personal decision. I would never come to South Africa until it was free,” he said.
Verbeeck said he first visited the country in 2001, more than a decade after Mandela’s release from prison and historic address at the Grand Parade in Cape Town.
He described the newly launched marathon series as the world’s first value-based running series, aimed at promoting equality, reconciliation, dignity and human rights through sport.
“Sport has a unique power. It brings people together who might otherwise never meet. It teaches respect. It breaks barriers,” he said.
He said Golazo was honoured to partner with the Nelson Mandela Foundation in carrying the initiative forward. “May we continue to run not only for medals and finish lines, but for dignity, justice, reconciliation and humanity itself,” he said.