John Mathane excited about ASA’s fixture list

Following a successful 2025 campaign, athletes, coaches and officials are already gearing up for a year headlined by major international events, including the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, the World Relay Championships in Botswana, and the African Senior Athletics Championships in Ghana.

The season will get underway with the ASA race walking trials in Tshwane on 21 February, where athletes will compete for places in the national squad for the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships scheduled for 12 April in Brasilia, Brazil.

This will be followed by the provincial senior track and field championships across the country on 14 and 15 February, which will serve as qualifiers for the national championships set for Stellenbosch on 18 and 19 April.

ASA has also confirmed three international track meetings on home soil as part of the World Athletics Continental Tour Challenger series. These include the Hezekiel Sepeng Invitational in Potchefstroom on 7 April, the Cape Milers Meeting in Stellenbosch on 10 April, and the inaugural Akani Simbine Classic on 28 April.

International action continues with Botswana hosting the World Relay Championships in Gaborone from 2 to 3 May, followed by the African Senior Championships in Ghana from 12 to 17 May.

The Commonwealth Games will take place later in the year in Glasgow from 23 July to 2 August.

ASA deputy president John Mathane has expressed his excitement about the upcoming season, despite 2026 not being an Olympic or World Senior Championships year.

“We are looking forward to an exciting season. It’s going to be a memorable year of athletics both at home and abroad, with athletes getting opportunities to compete at all levels,” Mathane told SABC Sport. “Our athletes have shown great improvement over the years, and we expect nothing less from them this season. We are all set for a fantastic year.”

Mathane, who also serves as president of Athletics Gauteng North, added that development remains a key focus, with the World Under-20 Championships scheduled for 5 to 9 August in Eugene, United States. Promising athletes such as Karabo Letebele, who is currently studying in the US, are expected to fly the national flag at the global youth showpiece.

On the road running front, the national marathon championships will be held in Durban on 3 May in conjunction with the Durban International Marathon. Meanwhile, the national 21km, 5km and one-mile championships are scheduled for Gqeberha on 27 June, among several other events in an action-packed calendar.