This article provides detailed information on all South Africa’s January 2023 marathons including race descriptions and recommendations. You can find the full 2023 marathon / ultra calendar here.
South African marathons go on hiatus from the beginning of December until the middle of January. A summary of your choices is below:
After an extended period of marathon running abstinence, you can butter your mielie with a fast and friendly circular course around Welkom and the surrounds on the 21st with the 44th running of the Mielie Marathon. Your other option that weekend is Volksrust – an out-and-back marathon packed with personality, exceptional support tables and the biggest finishers medal in the country.
The last weekend of January has five options. The most scenic of these is undoubtedly Red Hill which provides a tour of the southern tip of the Cape Peninsula (run it to find out what happens if you keep going straight at Fish Hoek during Two Oceans instead of turning right towards Sun Valley).
Ottosdal is definitely one for the bucket list. This is a superb running experience and the only night marathon in the country. You get a spectacular sunset on the way out and enjoy running past 1,500 handmade lanterns on the way back.
By far the biggest January event is Johnson Crane who are celebrating their 40th running in 2023 – quite incredibly, Johnson Crane Hire has been there from the start making this the race with by far the longest standing sponsorship. They are still innovating with a route redesign this year that keeps the fast marathon runners away from the back markers in the half marathon. The Johnson has probably claimed more marathon running virgins than any other race in the country (and was my first bite of the marathon running cherry back in 2002).
The two remaining options are double-lappers in Pretoria (Wonderpark Akasia) and Middelburg.
Click to enlarge or collapse sections.
Full Details of all January Marathons
All race information, links and flyers verified with race organisers (unless otherwise noted).
AECI Mielie Marathon (Sat 21 Jan): Confirmed
Race Description | This is a fast, uncongested, single-lap marathon around the Free State’s second largest city. The route is flat and the support tables are friendly. This will be the 44th running of the event (as such it is the oldest marathon in the States) and is a great pick for a fast January qualifier. The race offers a permanent number to her regular customers and you can get some Comrades and Two Oceans tips from local legend Louis Massyn (47 Comrades and 46 Oceans finishes) along the route. |
Detailed Report | Mielie Marathon (The Amaizeing Race): http://runningmann.co.za/2019/02/09/mielie-marathon/ |
Race Date | Saturday 21 January 2023 |
Location | Welkom, FS |
Start Venue | HTS Sports Grounds, Volks Road, Welkom |
Route Type | Circular |
Race Website | http://www.goudveldmultisport.co.za/ |
Contact Details | goudveldmultisport@yahoo.com |
Distance | 42 |
Online Entries | https://www.entryninja.com/events/78565-mielie-marathon-2023 |
Pre-entries Close | Wednesday 18 January 2023 |
Entry Fee | R180 |
Included Extras | A 1kg bag of mielie meal; shirt (first 100 entries). |
Late entries | Yes (No race day entries) |
Title sponsor | AECI https://www.aeciworld.com/ |
Permanent Numbers | Yes (10th finish) |
How to get there from Joburg? | 250km (2h30) drive from Joburg down the N1. |
Accommodation Options | Check out Google for B&B options |
What else to do there? | If anyone knows of anything worthwhile doing in Welkom (other than running a marathon) please let me know. |
Normal Finishers | +/- 200 |
Route Elevation (total climbing) | 199 |
Race Flyer, Profile and Photos (where available)
Volksrust Marathon (Sat 21 Jan): Confirmed
Race Description | An up and down, out and back route with some of the best support tables in the country (and arrive at the start with enough time to enjoy a complimentary cup of coffee and rusks). A bit of dirt road running is thrown into the end of the loop for those that like to get off the tar for a bit. Make sure you leave room in your tog bag for the medal – it is by far the biggest in the country! |
Detailed Report | Volksrust Marathon (High Spirits in the Highlands): http://runningmann.co.za/2018/02/04/volksrust-marathon/ |
Race Date | Saturday 21 January 2023 |
Location | Volksrust, Mpu |
Start Venue | Volksrust Highschool |
Route Type | Out-and-back |
Race Website | http://volksrust.com/marathon/index-1.html |
Contact Details | lindaduvenage@yahoo.com |
Distance | 42 |
Online Entries | https://www.entryninja.com/events/78627-volksrust-marathon%22 |
Pre-entries Close | Wednesday 18 January 2023 |
Entry Fee | R200 |
Included Extras | – |
Late entries | No – |
Title sponsor | None |
Permanent Numbers | No |
How to get there from Joburg? | 240km (2h45) drive. |
Accommodation Options | Plenty of good B&Bs – you should be able to find one within walking distance of the start. |
What else to do there? | Use as a base to explore the Battlefields Route. |
Normal Finishers | +/- 100 |
Route Elevation (total climbing) | 460 |
Race Flyer, Profile and Photos (where available)
Finlime Flat One Marathon (Sun 22 Jan): Unconfirmed
Race Description | If you fancy running a marathon in the middle of the Kalahari Desert then make a plan to include the one of the smallest Comrades qualifiers in the country (just 22 finishers when I ran in 2018) into your running schedule. The route is fairly flat and the spectacular desert landscape is only broken by the odd diamond and lime mine. Logistically, this is one of the hardest races to get to but it offers a truly unique marathon running experience and I would recommend all South African runners make the effort to do this marathon at least once. |
Detailed Report | Finlime Marathon (The Time I Ran a Marathon in Middle of the Kalahari Desert): http://runningmann.co.za/2018/01/29/finlime-marathon-kalahari-desert/ |
Race Date | Sunday 22 January 2023 |
Location | Lime Acres, NC |
Start Venue | Lime Acres Recreational Club, Central Avenue, Lime Acres |
Route Type | Circular |
Race Website | http://arulagroup.co.za/marathon.html |
Contact Details | info@arulagroup.co.za |
Distance | 42 |
Online Entries | ? |
Pre-entries Close | ? |
Entry Fee | ? |
Included Extras | Goodie Bag |
Late entries | ? – |
Title sponsor | Arula Group http://arulagroup.co.za/ |
Permanent Numbers | No |
How to get there from Joburg? | 600km (6-7hr drive) from Joburg or fly to Kimberley and shorten the drive to 1h45. |
Accommodation Options | Check out Google for B&B options or phone JD on 0832940993 for Hostel room bookings at venue. |
What else to do there? | Bring a book and suntan lotion; You could use the marathon as a stopover on a road trip to the spectacular Augrabies Falls and/or Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park |
Normal Finishers | +/- 30 |
Route Elevation (total climbing) | ? |
Race Flyer, Profile and Photos (where available)
STBB Red Hill Marathon (Sat 28 Jan): Confirmed
Race Description | Find out what happens if you kept running straight at Two Oceans instead of turning right towards Sun Valley. The route is a stunner that explores the southern tip of the Cape Peninsula and is the most beautiful of the January marathon options. Abridged description from race site, “Runners will line up facing away from Peer’s Cave… The route then takes the runners through Kommetjie, Misty Cliffs, Scarborough, and at the Perdekloof Picnic site, the Marathon runners will veer off towards Cape Point for a 6km loop…[after which you] continue over Red Hill. The runners join up with the Simonstown Main Road at the end of Red Hill, and continue towards Fish Hoek.” Be aware that Fish Hoek is a dry suburb so you may have to smuggle your own beer to the finish line. |
Detailed Report | Red Hill Marathon (Fish Hoek, line & sinker): http://runningmann.co.za/2020/02/28/red-hill-marathon/ |
Race Date | Saturday 28 January 2023 |
Location | Cape Town, WC |
Start Venue | Silverglade Sports Grounds, Fish Hoek |
Route Type | Circular |
Race Website | https://www.fishhoekac.com/ |
Contact Details | race@fishhoekac.com |
Distance | 42 |
Online Entries | https://www.racetraq.co.za/product/red-hill-2023/ |
Pre-entries Close | Thursday 12 January 2023 |
Entry Fee | R210 |
Included Extras | – |
Late entries | Probably – |
Title sponsor | STBB Legal https://www.stbb.co.za/ |
Permanent Numbers | Yes (10th finish) |
How to get there from Joburg? | Fly to Cape Town; 45km drive from the airport to Fish Hoek |
Accommodation Options | Plenty of good options close to the start. |
What else to do there? | One could visit Boulders Penguin Sanctuary in Simonstown (a hit for the kids), take a trip to the light house at Cape Point, do some wine tasting at some wine farms close to the start and take a scenic drive over Chapmans Peak and work in a sunset picnic along the route of the famous Two Oceans Marathon. |
Normal Finishers | +/- 1000 |
Route Elevation (total climbing) | 569 |
Race Flyer, Profile and Photos (where available)
Wonderpark Akasia Marathon (Sat 28 Jan): Confirmed
Race Description | A flat double-lapper around the north of Pretoria and proof that a small running club (Akasia with around 60 members) can put on an excellent event. Not much of interest along the route but this a good option for Gauteng runners to get the first marathon of the year done. Although there is plenty of parking at the Wonderpark Shopping Centre, there are about 6,000 runners across all distances so allow time for the congestion. The marathon honours Johann Van Eeden, an Akasia athlete who has completed 40 Comrades. |
Detailed Report | -: – |
Race Date | Saturday 28 January 2023 |
Location | Pretoria, Gau |
Start Venue | Wonderpark Shopping Mall, Karenpark, Pretoria |
Route Type | Double-lapper |
Race Website | http://www.akasiaathleticsclub.co.za/mainrace.html |
Contact Details | altje.conradie@absamail.co.za |
Distance | 42 |
Online Entries | https://www.entryninja.com/events/78452-wonderpark-akasia-road-race |
Pre-entries Close | Friday 20 January 2023 |
Entry Fee | R280 |
Included Extras | – |
Late entries | Yes (R20 extra for late entries; no race day entries) |
Title sponsor | Wonderpark Shopping Centre http://www.wonderparkcentre.co.za/ |
Permanent Numbers | No |
How to get there from Joburg? | 80km (1h) drive but allow extra time for congestion. |
Accommodation Options | Plenty of options in Pretoria. |
What else to do there? | Put your body to the test by doing a comprehensive shopping expedition in the mall directly afterwards (personally I find one hour in the mall more tiring and harder on the body than running a marathon). |
Normal Finishers | +/- 2000 |
Route Elevation (total climbing) | 395 |
Race Flyer, Profile and Photos (where available)
Ottosdal Nite Marathon (Sat 28 Jan): Confirmed
Race Description | With a 5:30pm start, this is the only night marathon in South Africa. An out-and-back, traffic-free route where lanterns line the road and guide you home after the sun sets. Ottosdal is the smallest town in the country to host a marathon and the town’s population more than doubles over race weekend (there are cycling events as well for the bike curious). Enjoy the simplistic beauty of being out in nature as the sun starts to set. The profile is undulating although there are no major hills but a few good pulls that will give your legs a good workout while the declines allow your legs to enjoy a few sundowners. This race is also the meat in the marathon running weekend sandwich that allows hardcore runners to run three marathons in just over 24 hours (with Wonderpark Akasia and Johnson Crane providing the bread). |
Detailed Report | Ottosdal Night Marathon (Testing the Limits of Delayed Gratification): http://runningmann.co.za/2019/02/21/ottosdal-night-marathon/ |
Race Date | Saturday 28 January 2023 |
Location | Ottosdal, NW |
Start Venue | Ottosdal Show Grounds, Koster Street |
Route Type | Out-and-back |
Race Website | https://ottosdaldrafentrap.co.za/ |
Contact Details | willa@ottosdaldrafentrap.co.za |
Distance | 42 |
Online Entries | https://ottosdaldrafentrap.co.za/product/online_entry/ |
Pre-entries Close | 14 January |
Entry Fee | R160 |
Included Extras | Shirt (first 1000 entries) |
Late entries | Yes |
Title sponsor | None |
Permanent Numbers | No |
How to get there from Joburg? | 240km (3h) drive west past Potch and Klerksdorp. |
Accommodation Options | https://ottosdaldrafentrap.co.za/accomodation |
What else to do there? | Ottosdal is an historic boer town. There is a full weekend of activities including mountain and road biking options for bi-pedalling bi-cyclists. Stick around afterwards to see if you are the lucky draw winner of a diamond and enjoy a ‘plaaspontbyt’ (farm breakfast) the following morning. |
Normal Finishers | +/- 300 |
Route Elevation (total climbing) | 310 |
Race Flyer, Profile and Photos (where available)
Middelburg Marathon (Sat 28 Jan): Confirmed
Race Description | The race promises to be an early season fitness tester that offers some of the finest views of Middelburg. |
Detailed Report | -: – |
Race Date | Saturday 28 January 2023 |
Location | Middelburg, Mpu |
Start Venue | Hoerskool Kanonkop, Middelburg |
Route Type | Circular |
Race Website | https://www.facebook.com/events/628272040935571/ |
Contact Details | mmkinfo01@gmail.com |
Distance | 42 |
Online Entries | ? |
Pre-entries Close | Thursday 26 January 2023 |
Entry Fee | R180 |
Included Extras | – |
Late entries | Yes (R20 extra for late entries) |
Title sponsor | Blue Mining Services |
Permanent Numbers | No |
How to get there from Joburg? | 160km (1h45) drive using N12 or N4. |
Accommodation Options | Check out Google for B&B options |
What else to do there? | https://middelburginfo.co.za/ |
Normal Finishers | +/- 200 |
Route Elevation (total climbing) | 439 |
Race Flyer, Profile and Photos (where available)
Johnson Crane Marathon (Sun 29 Jan): Confirmed
Race Description | This race lives up to the expectations that Benoni is the flattest, highest and most tedious part of the highveld: The route is back to a mostly single lap format (there is a small repeat section) through the city streets, suburbia and out into the countryside past smallholdings. Watch out for the nasty ‘slow poison’ pull from that dominates the six of the last seven kilometers. Although this is not the most interesting route (there has not been much interesting to look at in Benoni since 1994 when Charlize Theron left for Hollywood), this race holds a special place in my heart since it was my debut marathon back in 2002 (when it was still a single-lap race). I enjoyed it enough to run 10 but have not run it since 2015 (after earning my permanent number and parole). In Pre-Covid times, the event had 14,000 participants across all distances, making it one of the biggest running events in the country and by far the largest in January. It is normally very well organised with plenty for the family to do at the finish line. If you are short of clothes and cash, after the December holidays the race always has a quality shirt and goodie bag for participants. This is the 40th running and Johnson Crane has sponsored every single edition. |
Detailed Report | -: – |
Race Date | Sunday 29 January 2023 |
Location | Benoni, Gau |
Start Venue | Willowmoore Park, Benoni |
Route Type | Double-lapper |
Race Website | http://johnsoncranemarathon.co.za/ |
Contact Details | info@johnsoncranemarathon.co.za |
Distance | 42 |
Online Entries | https://secure.onreg.com/onreg2/front/step1.php?id=5882 |
Pre-entries Close | 2 weeks before event |
Entry Fee | R305 |
Included Extras | Shirt (first 3,000 entries) |
Late entries | Yes (No race day entries) |
Title sponsor | Johnson Crane Hire https://jch.co.za/ |
Permanent Numbers | Yes (10th finish) |
How to get there from Joburg? | 30 minute drive along the N12. However traffic is very congested so you need to allow at least 90 minutes. |
Accommodation Options | Birchwood Hotel and Conference Centre, The Flamingo Nest , Kaponong Hotel On Benoni Road, Hotels around OR Tambo |
What else to do there? | Watch the planes coming in to land at OR Tambo; Try and talent search for the next Charlize Theron. |
Normal Finishers | +/- 4000 |
Route Elevation (total climbing) | 409 |
Race Flyer, Profile and Photos (where available)
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