Jabu Mbuli – Soweto Marathon going ahead

By Charles Baloyi
26th November 2025

Soweto Marathon Non-Profit Company (NPC) spokesperson Jabu Mbuli has insisted that the iconic People’s Race will proceed as scheduled at Nasrec on Saturday, regardless of the ongoing dispute with the Soweto Marathon Trust.

Despite threats from the Trust, who continue to challenge the NPC for hosting rights, the NPC officially opened the expo centre with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday.

Mbuli told SABC Sport that the race is fully confirmed and cannot be stopped, as hundreds of runners flocked to the expo to collect their race packs.

"Come the 29th of November, the event is definitely happening, and runners will get their chance to go and explore beautiful Soweto. It's been a very difficult few months of organising this event, at one stage we were 100% sure the race was happening, then the next stage, we had to change dates because of the G20 and switch from a Sunday to a Saturday."

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The Soweto Marathon Trust vowed that the race would not go ahead “over their dead body,” but the NPC insists it is taking these threats seriously.

Mbuli said they have strengthened security measures and assured SABC Sport that runners will be fully protected by law enforcement on race day.

"We cannot take any threat lightly, which is why we've engaged SAPS and other bodies. So if anything happens on the day, the SAPS will follow due procedures to minimise any kind of threat."

Mbuli revealed that extensive efforts have been made to ensure the safety of every participant.

He added that the NPC has consulted with community leaders—including taxi bosses, policing forums, hostel indunas, and elders—to secure their support in safeguarding the runners, alongside the police.

Mbuli stressed that no runner will be harmed on the route.

With three days remaining before the race, Mbuli confirmed that 17,500 entries have already been sold, with only a few thousand still available before reaching the 20,000 target ahead of Friday night’s deadline.

Mbuli explained that the NPC had no option but to introduce two new cutoff points this year due to increased activity on Saturdays, including Black Friday weekend traffic, community events, and funerals in the townships. The organisers aim to conclude the race by 11 am to allow residents to continue with their daily routines.