Zanele Maisa will look back at 2026 with nothing but gratitude and as her most successful year to date after achieving two major milestones. She realised a lifelong dream earlier this year when she represented South Africa at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in the USA in January, and now the 30-year old Waterfall AC athlete has won her first national title. The Kwa-Thema resident clinched the women’s ASA 10km championships title, incorporated into the LetsGo P

South African long distance rising star Cwenga Nose produced a remarkable performance on his marathon debut, clocking 2:09:15 at the Amsterdam Marathon in the Netherlands on Sunday, 18 October 2026. The 26-year-old Phantane Athletics Club top runner took 23rd position overall in a competitive field where Ethiopia's Lemi Berhanu claimed victory in an impressive 2:03:33. Speaking to #TheTopRunner after the race, an elated Nose said he was overwhelmed by his achievement. Nose in

Legends Road Runners dominated the 2026 Seshego ultra-marathon on Sunday, 11 October as Katlego Motseta and Puleng Khumalo won the men’s and women’s races respectively. Celebrating its fifth anniversary, the 50km race which is run between the Polokwane townships of Mankweng and Seshego saw a new course record in the men’s race as Motseta crossed the finish line in 2:46:59 to eclipse the mark of 2:51:15 run by former Two Oceans champion Givemore Mdziganyama during the first ed

Following a nine-year hiatus, the Ethekwini Township to Township event will reintroduce the 42km Marathon distance for the 2026 edition of the race which is scheduled for October 11th. The race route navigates through some of Durban's most well-known townships, commencing in KwaMashu, proceeding past Chesterville, to finish at the King Zwelithini Stadium in Umlazi. In addition to the standard marathon, the event also features a half marathon for runners preferring shorter dis

When Mpumalanga middle-distance sensation Gugulethu Thanjekwayo lined up for the combined U16 and U17 boys’ 6km race at the ASA Cross-Country Championships at Curro Hazeldean in Pretoria last month, he had one goal in mind – to leave nothing on the course. Fresh from a third-place finish in the U18 boys’ 3 000m at the Cossasa Games in Zimbabwe just days earlier, the Athletics Mpumalanga athlete was determined to be more aggressive from the start. He positioned himself among t

South African sprinter Luxolo Adams has refunded the money paid to him by athletes for Adidas running gear, bringing an end to a dispute that had threatened to overshadow his glittering career and worsen an already difficult period away from competitive athletics. Last week #TheTopRunner reported on the concerns raised by Cape Town-based marathoner Sbusiso Madikizela and KZN sprinter Melusi Dlamini, both of whom claimed that they had paid the former SA 200m champion for runni

South African distance running star Tayla Kavanagh capped an outstanding European campaign by breaking the South African women’s 10km record at the tRunsylvania International 10K in Brașov, Romania yesterday (Sunday 4 October). Kavanagh, clocked 30:50 to finish fifth in a competitive field and take 22 seconds off Glenrose Xaba’s previous national record of 31:12, while she also become the first South African woman to run under 31 minutes for 10km. The Hollywood Athletics Clu

After becoming Lesotho's first woman to win a Comrades Marathon gold medal in June and breaking 34 minutes for the first time during last weekend's (26 September) Gqeberha leg of the SPAR Women’s Challenge, 2026 will go down as Likeleli Majara’s best season on record. "After a long time things are finally going well," she told #TheTopRunner. "You know where I come from and I'm so grateful that things are coming together for me. Things are going much better than I ever expecte

South African sprinter Luxolo Adams is back in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. The Diamond League winner and 2018 SA 200m champion is facing allegations from a number of athletes who claim they paid him for Adidas apparel which they are yet to receive months later. Among those claiming they were scammed by the top runner is Cape Town-based marathoner Sibusiso Madikizela, who says he paid Adams R1,300 for a pair of Adidas tights and a jacket, which still haven’t arriv

Michael Bekker announced his return to form with a standout performance at the Curro Podium North meeting on September 19 at Pilditch Stadium, underscoring his status as one of South Africa's brightest middle distance prospects. Hoërskool Zwartkop's Bekker clocked a blistering 3:51.96 to win the U17 boys' 1 500m, recording the fastest time across all age groups at the event which welcomed schools from across Gauteng, the North West Province and Mpumalanga. Bekker goes toe to

Reflecting on the loss of his father who was both his mentor and coach, Tumelo Motlagale reveals that he had to draw on deep wells of spirituality to get him through a difficult last twelve months which ultimately forced him to grow as a person and a runner. Adam Motlagale, himself a 61 minute half-marathoner, tragically passed away along with Motlagale’s training partner Mathews Leeto in June 2025 after the pair were involved in a car accident in the North West province. Tum

Maxed Elite athlete Jobo Khotoane timed his decisive move perfectly to claim victory at the Ntenga Foundation 10km race which took place at the Moses Mabhida Outfield Stadium in Druban on Thursday 24 September. The 35-year-old clocked 30:27 after producing a calculated tactical performance in cool, favourable running conditions. Khotoane stayed firmly in control through the opening half of the race, reaching the 5km mark near the Suncoast Circle shoulder-to-shoulder with Lind

After South Africa’s men’s half marathon team picked up the team bronze medal at the last edition of the World Athletics Road Running Championships in 2023, all eyes will be on the current cohort when they don the green and gold in Copenhagen, Denmark this weekend (September 19-20). Standing in his second stint as a national coach after previously leading the 100km team in Germany in 2022, Mdu Khumalo is well aware of the responsibilities he shoulders. "I'm happy to be select

Lesetja Papo may have fallen short of his 2:16 target, but his KitKat Marathon victory in Pretoria West on Sunday September 13 gave the Maxed Elite athlete exactly the confidence he needed and a timely reminder that trusting his own race plan can pay dividends.Papo produced a season’s best 2:18:17 to claim the title, crossing the finish line more than two minutes ahead of runner-up Steven Mokoka of Hollywood AC (2:20:23). Msawenkosi Buthelezi of Pan African Resources complete

Kenyan top runner Silvester Kipkemboi Kipsang underlined his credentials as a contender for a Two Oceans gold medal with a superb run at the Masingita Mall 4-In-1 in Giyani on Saturday 12 September. Making his debut at the race which is run at just under 500m above sea level, (42.2km), the Nedbank Running Club athlete won the men’s 42,2km event in the impressive time of 2:16:27. "I feel nice," he told #TheTopRunner moments after his victory. "The course was fine. This is my

Famous for being a three-time Comrades Marathon winner, Tete Dijana is beginning to make a name for himself as a mentor and coach. This after one of the athletes under his guidance delivered a memorable performance at the Athletics South Africa (ASA) Cross Country Championships which took place at Curro Hazeldean in Tshwane on Saturday 5 September. Running in the colours of Athletics North West North, Tiisang Molopi claimed the bronze medal behind the Central Gauteng Athletic

Nicola Jansen shocked even herself when she pulled off the upset of the ASA cross country championships at Curro Hazeldean on Saturday September 5, beating overwhelming favourite Cacisile Sosibo to claim the senior women's 10km title. With defending champion Glenrose Xaba and last year's runner-up Karabo Mailula absent, Sosibo was widely expected to dominate. But Jansen, relatively unknown outside Gauteng North after spending five years studying in the United States, flipped

This time last week Elex Moyo was celebrating a breakthrough performance that redefined his running career and catapulted him into the upper echelons of elite 10km runners. After years of struggling to break the 30 minute barrier, the 27-year-old produced a remarkable run of 28:57 at the Hollywoodbets Durban 10km on Sunday 30 August to dip under 29 minutes for the first time and claim ninth position ahead of the likes of Thabang Mosiako, Namakoe Nkhasi and Ryan Mphahlele. "I'

Amogelang Tatai outsprinted Musawenkosi Mnisi in a thrilling finish to claim his first senior title at the ASA Cross Country Championships at Curro Hazeldean, while Karabo More capped a memorable afternoon with a 4km and 2km double. In perfect, albeit unusual, overcast and windy early spring conditions on September 5, Tatai silenced a partisan crowd backing Mnisi as he surged down the final straight, denying Athletics Gauteng North (AGN) a sweep of the senior 4km titles after

This time last year, few outside the Central Gauteng Athletics (CGA) circles knew the name Nicola Smith. Fast-forward 12 months and the Ekhaya AC middle-distance sensation is emerging as one of the country’s most exciting young talents. The 16-year-old has enjoyed a breakthrough season, dominating the CGA track and field season earlier this year, before claiming silver in the U18 girls’ 3 000m at the national age-group championships at Germiston Stadium. Smith enjoyed a break