18,000 runners (including SA champ Gerda Steyn) gear up for epic Soweto Marathon

Over 18,000 runners will take to the streets of Soweto on Saturday, 29 November, for the annual African Bank Soweto Marathon.

Nicknamed The People’s Race, the event includes a 42 km marathon, a 21 km half marathon and a 10 km run.

Runners will start at the Nasrec Expo Centre, venture through Soweto, visit several heritage sites including the Hector Pieterson Memorial, the Mandela House and Vilakazi Street, and finish at the FNB Stadium.

“We want to give runners a good experience with descent running routes, nice hydration on the routes, and some activations,” says race director Danny Blumberg.

The marathon is expected to start at 5 am, with the half-marathon at 6 am and the 10 km at 7 am.

Blumberg highlights that Mzansi’s record breaker Gerda Steyn and Ethiopian runner Stella Chesang will be among the participants.

He notes that runners who missed the cancelled Cape Town Marathon were offered discounted entries.

Registration will remain open until Friday at 7 pm.

For road users, several roads in the Nasrec precinct, Riverlea, Diepkloof, Orlando East, Orlando West, Mofolo, Dube and Kliptown will be affected from 4 am to 3 pm.

To listen to Blumberg in conversation with 702 and CapeTalk’s Africa Melane, click below: