Almost a year after the Soweto Marathon, athletes are still waiting for prize money after a proposed partial payment was delayed. As governance issues continue, the 2026 edition is unlikely to proceed.
At the end of July, a line of hope had been cast when Central Gauteng Athletics (CGA) announced that winners of the 2025 Soweto Marathon would receive a partial payment of their outstanding prize money.
However, the release of those funds, which are being held by the Gauteng Sports Confederation, has been delayed, leaving athletes in limbo almost a year after the race.
CGA had hoped to use approximately R740,000 in surplus funds linked to the 2024 race to make interim payments to athletes owed a share of roughly R1.2-million in outstanding prize money. This is according to Mandla Radebe, CGA general manager.
“The proposed partial payment was being considered as an interim measure while the broader governance and financial matters surrounding the Soweto Marathon are being addressed,” said Radebe.
According to Radebe, the process has since been affected by delays in the release of funds by the Gauteng Sports Confederation.
However, no reason for the delay was provided.
Questions have been sent to the confederation regarding the reasons for the delay and the authority under which the funds are being held; however, no response had been received by the date of publication.
According to Radebe, CGA is engaging “all…