Tergat, Ndereba land Sports Ambassadorial Roles in South Africa

Kenyan long-distance legends Catherine Ndereba and Paul Tergat have been unveiled as ambassadors for the inaugural Nelson Mandela Marathon.

The duo were named alongside South African athletics stars five-time South African Athletics Championships winner in the 1500 m and 800 Prudence Seokgodiso and the 2004 New York City Marathon winner Hendrick Ramaala.

The ambassadors were introduced after the Nelson Mandela Foundation officially launched the marathon at Cape Town City Hall, the iconic venue where former South African President Nelson Mandela addressed the nation following his release from prison in 1990.

The marathon, scheduled for Sunday, 18 October 2026, will feature a 42-kilometre route through Cape Town, with organisers describing it as the world’s first value-based running series centred on human rights.

The race forms part of the newly launched Mandela Legacy Sporting Series, a platform aimed at bringing together sporting initiatives linked to social justice, active citizenship and community upliftment.

The sporting series was unveiled at Sanctuary Mandela as the foundation marked 27 years since Mandela established the organisation and stepped down as South Africa’s first democratically elected president.

Other events under the series include the Mandela Day Walk and Run, the Legacy Ride4Hope and the Nelson Mandela Remembrance Walk and Run.

According to the foundation, the initiative seeks to inspire participation in causes that promote dignity, equality and social justice through the power of sport.