SA Half Marathon Champs to return to Gqeberha

Since it’s very first race in 2014 which was won by Elroy Gelant, the Nelson Mandela Bay Half Marathon has been celebrated as South Africa’s most competitive 21km race, producing the fastest time ever run on SA soil - 1:00:29 by Thabang Mosiako to win the 2023 event. For this reason, the race has enjoyed ASA Half Marathon Championship status for nine of it’s eleven editions.

In 2025 however, the ASA Half Marathon Championships took place in the hot Limpopo climate of Phalaborwa, making it difficult for top runners to produce the sort of world class times that have been run in Nelson Mandela Bay. But speaking after today's sold out (3000 participants) 1 City Marathon, Race Director Mike Mbambani revealed that the 2026 21km championships are scheduled to return to The Friendly City to the event that has previously enjoyed World Athletics Elite Status.

Hometown favourite Melikhaya Frans leads the field after the starts of 2022 NMB Half Marathon which doubled as a national 21km championship event. Photo Credit: EPA Media.

"Let me break the news," he told local media. "The Nelson Mandela Bay Half Marathon will be incorporating the SA Half Marathon Championships in Gqeberha. The 21km next year on the 27 June will be national championship race. We have a four year deal with Athletics South Africa," he smiled.

Mbambani was speaking in his capacity as the driving force behind the Nelson Mandela Legacy Project, which in partnership with Eastern Province Athletics (EPA) and the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality host a number of athletic events across road running and cross country geared at developing local talent and positioning the region as a sporting destination of choice.

Mbambani flanked by MC Alec Riddle, speaking during the 2022 event. He has revealed that the SA 21km Championships will take place in Gqeberha on 27 June, 2026. Photo CRedit: Supplied.

"The NMB Half Marathon is the flagship of the Legacy Project. The Legacy Project is a collaboration between EPA and NMBM which started in 2011 when the Municipality started the Partnership with (Ikhamva AC) through the Freedom Run in Motherwell and then in 2015 Eastern Province Athletics Committee motivated their vision to partner with the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, Sports Recreation, Arts & Culture, to establish the Legacy Project," he explains.

"The focus was to create a platform for athletes to enjoy healthy competition on home soil without needing to leave the city to compete. The Legacy Project now hosts 7 events annually reaching a number of areas in the metropole, and taking the sport of athletics to the people, namely, Motherwell, Gelvandale, Colchester, Uitenhage/Despatch and Summerstrand," said director Mike Mbambani.