BLOEMFONTEIN – The Lemo Mangaung Marathon for 2026 is set for Saturday 2 May, marking the third instalment. True to its theme of “Your Roots, Our Route,” competitors will run through the streets of Bloemfontein, the Free State capital.
The marathon is significant on three fronts: It continues to instil the spirit of marathon running in the City of Roses; allows runners to qualify for the Comrades Marathon; and continues to unearth future marathon talent. Runners will share in the whopping R300 000 prize money on offer across the main races of 42,2 km, 21,1 km and 10 km. The 5 km race, which promotes healthy lifestyle and development, is featured in this year’s edition.
The sponsor, Lemo Mall, has dangled the carrot for top local Free State runners, offering R3 000 each to the first woman and man to cross the finishing line in the 42,2 km marathon.
In previous editions, the prize money was R2 500. The top ten finishers in the full marathon are all guaranteed prize money. In addition, first finishers (men and women) in the age groups 40, 50, 60, and 70 years and older will receive R2 500 each in the 42,2 km.
According to statistics, this year’s edition has seen record entries of 3 000, a significant improvement from the two previous instalments in 2024 and 2025, which had approximately 2 600 runners. Of these, roughly 500 runners participated in the 42.2km full marathon, which qualifies for the annual Comrades Marathon.
The Lemo Mangaung Marathon features a relatively flat, fast route designed to help runners achieve personal bests. Though the course is known for its speed, it includes a gradual climb between the 6 km and 19 km marks. Two South Africans, Mbuti Mollo and Arouchelle Nieuwenhuis, set course records in both the men’s and women’s 42.2 km races at the 2025 edition of the marathon, with both finishing in under three hours. Mollo crossed the line in 2:21:07, while Nieuwenhuis clocked 2:59:21 and successfully defended her title.
The staging of this year’s edition sees continued partnerships with the Mangaung Metro Municipality, Itau Milling, and Athletics Free State (AFS).
All four categories of the race will start and finish at Lemo Mall, at the corner of Dr Belcher Road and the M10 in Heidedal. The starting times are as follows:
■ 42,2 km (full marathon): 06:00,
■ 21,1 km (half marathon): 06:15,
■ 10 km race: 06:30, and
■ 5 km Fun Run: 06:45.
