OCTOBER QUALIFIERS

October is a slow month on the running calendar with only seven confirmed marathons.

Those looking for a village marathon should check out the Shikhumba Marathon in the northern extremities of Limpopo on the first weekend. I thoroughly enjoyed this out-and-back race but look out for Dead Donkey Hill. The Saturday also sees a new entrant with Vryheid adding the Prof. Otty Nxumalo Marathon to the calendar.

Unless you suffer from coulrophobia, the single lap Midvaal Madmac Marathon in Randvaal is highly recommended. The race is hosted by the Meyerton Athletic Club on the site of the old Boswell Wilkie Circus and they have plenty of fun lined up with a canon to get you going and clowns all over the route to keep you going. Just be careful that you don’t feel drained and bump into Pennywise.

Run on an actively used motorsport racetrack, the Red Star Marathon in Delmas is your only option on the second weekend. The route comprises circuits of the racetrack. Each lap is 4km and, with 13 turns to contend with, will allow you to perfect your cornering technique. The finish straight is 800m allowing you to open the throttle and give it some gas. With just 12m of elevation per lap this is one of the flattest marathons available. You can stay overnight at the racetrack or it’s an easy 1 hour drive on the morning from Johannesburg.

The third weekend is dominated by the aspirant World Marathon Major, the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon. With a sellout field, the event looks to further extend its status as the premier marathon in Africa.

October is rounded off with two excellent options. On Saturday you have the LetsGo Potch! Marathon which is a fast and flat double lapper through the university town that takes you around the dam and through the army base.

Sunday’s option is the circular Goss & Balfe Sapphire Coast Marathon. This race has a route profile like the jawline of a ragged-tooth shark – you can expect plenty of hills and humidity on this coastal course.

Stuart Mann is the proud holder of Comrades Green Number 50252. He writes and blogs as ‘The Running Mann’. You can follow him on Facebook, X or Instagram and can read about his marathon running adventures at www.runningmann.com.

Full details of all October qualifiers can be found HERE

A complete list of all 2025 Comrades qualifier marathons and ultras can be found HERE