"Digging for talent in the rural areas is in our DNA" - All systems go for maiden Fortress Running Series KZN Event in Vryheid
- Mosibodi Whitehead
- Jun 23
- 3 min read
In keeping with their mission to take the sport of road running to some of South Africa’s most rural corners, organisers of the 2026 Fortress Running Series have announced that the popular 10km and 21km series will visit KwaZulu-Natal for the very first time. The Fortress Running Series Vryheid Run will take place on 25 July at AbaQulusi Plaza, one of the shopping centres in the Fortress Retail portfolio.
"Digging for talent in the rural areas is in our DNA," says SA Road Running Legend Israel Morake who took fourth position at the 1991 Comrades Marathon and won the 1992 Two Oceans Marathon.
“South Africa has an abundance of talent. When I was running, many clubs helped and provided us with opportunities. The running environment has changed, and it is now up to us, former runners, to introduce the sport to the next generation. The Fortress Running Series bridges this gap: most of the major events take place in the big cities, but these races give exposure to athletes from rural areas,” explains Morake who founded the series in his hometown of Sterkspruit in the Eastern cape.
Backed by seasoned athletics administrator Dorah Mngwevu and working through the ISMO Athletic Club, the pair have assembled a competent multi-disciplinary team including 800m Olympic silver medalist Hezekiel Sepeng, who partner local running clubs in each province to stage a high-quality race while identifying future champions. Mngwevu says the decision to host the first fortress Running Series event in KZN has been a long time coming.
"Remember that the Fortress Running Series is all about encouraging rural development of athletics by staging top class events where all can participate. We know for example, that there is a marathon in the area, but our event incorporates a 10km race and 5km race. These shorter distances are better suited to young people and school kids. So we use the 5km especially to identify talent which is part of our mandate to develop athletics in the rural areas."
To deliver the Fortress Running Series Vryheid Run, ISMO has partnered with the Inkamana Athletics Club. A well-respected club whose cosmopolitan membership is dotted around KZN and Gauteng’s big cities but call the Zululand District Municipality home, Inkamana is known for organising successful events. Notably, their signature event, the inaugural Otty Nxumalo Marathon which served as both a Comrades and Two Oceans Marathon qualifier, took place last October and drew a field 700 competitors. Inkamana chairperson Thami Sukazi says they will be banking on this experience on 25 July.
"I'm very grateful and thankful to Fortress Retail and the ISMO Athletic Club for partnering with Inkamana to launch the KwaZulu-Natal leg of the Fortress Running Series. It means our work on the ground has been visible to many people across the country. It's such a good feeling for the people of Vryheid to have a race like this. There is a shortage of races in this area and so we must bridge the gap. To see JSE listed companies like Fortress Real Estate Investments backing rural athletics is good. I hope this partnership will last for many years.”
Sukazi adds that in order to remain true to the Fortress Running Series' key principle of spreading the sport of athletics far and wide, they aim to attract the largest field ever for a race in the Zululand District Municipality where primary school children will be prioritised.
"Our target is to get 500 to 1 000 participants. This would be excellent for a new race. Athletes under the age of 12 participate for free - no entry fee will be paid. This is good for the development of the sport in the area."
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