'The race will go ahead if the sponsors engage with us' - Soweto Marathon Trust on 2025 People's Race

The Soweto Marathon Trust (SMT) has vowed to fight tooth and nail to reclaim full control of the iconic People's Race – even if it means pulling the plug on this year's edition. The Trust says it is prepared to forgo the 2025 staging of the marathon unless its authority over the running of the event is restored and the title sponsor, African Bank, engages with them.

"We will fight this to the end. And if it takes cancelling the 2025 edition to restore the legacy of the People's Race, then let history record that we chose justice over convenience," said SMT media liaison Stan Itshegetseng at a press briefing in Booysens yesterday (August 2).

Runners enjoying the Soweto Marathon which is under threat this year. Photo credit: Supplied.

The briefing aimed to clear up confusion around the Soweto Marathon and reaffirm the Trust's firm stance against what they described as misinformation, distortion, and legal interference. Itshegetseng said the race should legally be staged by the Trust. However, it has been hijacked by a private company called Soweto Marathon (SM) (Pty) Ltd, established by the race's former organisers after the SMT's bank accounts were frozen following a well publicised 2023 spat which involved the suspension of the Trust's chairperson Sello Khunou who then took the matter to the courts.

"They have since run the 2023 and 2024 races without the blessing or authority of the trust. This conduct is not only unethical and it's under legal contestation in the High Court of South Africa. The official applicant has always been the SMT. CGA has failed its constitution. It’s effectively sanctioning the theft of a township legacy asset from its lawful owners," Itshegetseng said, stressing that Central Gauteng Athletics' recognition of SM Pty Ltd was a violation of its own race calendar rules that hosting rights should be granted only to applicants.

He added that the Trust had requested a meeting with African Bank to introduce the new board which includes the formerly suspended Khunou and Ishe Sadiki, but the bank responded that it had been instructed not to engage with them. Itshegetseng made it clear that they own the Soweto Marathon and deserve full transparency on every clause of the sponsor contract.

The SMT says a private company called Soweto Marathon (SM) (Pty) Ltd established by the race's former organisers and led by Thokozani Mazibuko has hijacked the race and is preventing them from engaging with the event's headline sponsor African Bank. Photo Credit: Supplied.

"They were told to not speak to the owners of a race they want to sponsor. It's strange. The race will happen if the sponsors are willing to engage with us. The Soweto Marathon is the only township race of this magnitude on the continent built by people. We can't allow it to be stolen by criminals. The money that has been sponsoring the race is lying in a private account that's been frozen because of embezzlement. We have a right to engage all the sponsors. We've written to the Gauteng legislature, provincial department of sport and the national sports minister. We've received no response. We are saying the court must intervene."

Asked if they are not inconveniencing athletes who have centred their calendar on the Soweto Marathon, he said, “Athletes are on our side. Soweto clubs are fighting with us. The Soweto Marathon is an iconic race bigger than all of us. We want to see it take place. Our stakeholder liaison, Matsebe Maile, has written several emails to our stakeholders and African Bank because we want the race to take place. African Bank refused to talk to us. It's not easy to go ahead with the race if the title sponsor refuses to talk to us. We want to see the race go ahead but we are defeated," said SMT board member Thuli Makgetha emphasizing that they are not doing this to spite anyone.

When asked by #TheTopRunner about rumours that this year's Soweto Marathon date might finally be confirmed this month, Itshegetseng responded: "I'm not sure who is going to make the announcement because it must be made by the SMT."