Ndereba, Tergat land key roles in historic Mandela Marathon launch
Reading Time: 2min | Tue. 19.05.26. | 16:51
The ambassadors were introduced after the Nelson Mandela Foundation officially launched the marathon at Cape Town City Hall, the iconic venue where former South African President Nelson Mandela addressed the nation following his release from prison in 1990
Kenyan long-distance legends Catherine Ndereba and Paul Tergat have been unveiled as ambassadors for the inaugural Nelson Mandela Marathon alongside South African athletics stars Prudence Seokgodiso and Hendrick Ramaala.
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The ambassadors were introduced after the Nelson Mandela Foundation officially launched the marathon at Cape Town City Hall, the iconic venue where former South African President Nelson Mandela addressed the nation following his release from prison in 1990.
The marathon, scheduled for Sunday, 18 October 2026, will feature a 42-kilometre route through Cape Town, with organisers describing it as the world’s first value-based running series centred on human rights.
The race forms part of the newly launched Mandela Legacy Sporting Series, a platform aimed at bringing together sporting initiatives linked to social justice, active citizenship and community upliftment.
The sporting series was unveiled at Sanctuary Mandela as the foundation marked 27 years since Mandela established the organisation and stepped down as South Africa’s first democratically elected president.
A special moment this evening as the ambassadors for the Nelson Mandela Marathon are officially welcomed onto the stage at the launch in Cape Town.
— NelsonMandela (@NelsonMandela) May 18, 2026
The ambassadors include former marathon world record holder Paul Tergat, former New York City Marathon champion Hendrick Ramaala,… pic.twitter.com/2jtJIw71wf
Other events under the series include the Mandela Day Walk and Run, the Legacy Ride4Hope and the Nelson Mandela Remembrance Walk and Run.
According to the foundation, the initiative seeks to inspire participation in causes that promote dignity, equality and social justice through the power of sport.
Speaking during the launch, Nelson Mandela Foundation chief executive officer Mbongiseni Buthelezi said the platform had been designed to unite communities and drive social impact.
“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,” said Buthelezi.
The marathon is being organised by Golazo in partnership with the Nelson Mandela Foundation and communities in Cape Town.
Golazo founder Bob Verbeek said Mandela’s legacy and message of reconciliation inspired the creation of the event.
“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,” Verbeek said.
“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.”