Northern Cape Archives - The Running Mann

30th September 202630th September 2026

(Digging deep at) The Big Hole Marathon

[Marathon #293 / Unique Marathon #180 / 22 November 2025]

It had been a while since I’d travelled to Kimberley but the addition of the Diamonds & Dorings Kimberley Big Hole Marathon to the race calendar necessitated a return to the flatlands of the Northern Cape. The Northern Cape is by far the least populated province in South Africa and marathons in the region are similarly sparse. This is perhaps best highlighted with the stat that only 96 people used a Northern Cape marathon as their Comrades qualifier in 2025.

Just 96 entrants used a Northern Cape marathon as their Comrades qualifier in 2025.

30th March 2020

Diamond Marathon (Roughing it amongst the diamonds)

[MARATHON #240 / Unique Marathon #140 / 7 March 2020]

The chance to run a golden jubilee marathon happens once every 50 years. The chance to run the golden jubilee of the Diamond Marathon is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Therefore, when it came to planning my 2020 race schedule, the first race that went down in ink was the Northern Cape’s oldest marathon.

Congratulations to Kimberley Harriers Running Club on your golden jubilee (and thanks for the wonderful hospitality). (Photo from Kimberley Harriers’ Facebook page)

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7th April 2019

John Nugent Marathon (Upington: The Final Frontier)

[Marathon #209 / Unique Marathon #119 / 9 March 2019]

The plan to run a marathon in Upington began at the Mokopane Spur the night before the Potties Marathon. My companions that evening were the two JKs: former international rugby referee Jonathan Kaplan (120 marathons and going strong) and current Tarzan / Michael Bolton impersonator Julian Karp (770 marathons and going stronger). I was just the Mann in the middle with around 180 marathons at that stage.

Hatching a plan over a pre-marathon meal in Mokopane with the two JKs.

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2nd March 20196th March 2019

Meerkat Marathon (The One With A Presidential Sendoff)

[Marathon #204 / Unique Marathon #114 / 2 February 2019]

Once a year, I take out the one wood for the long drive to Kimberley – five to six gruelling hours along the N12. I am slowly working through all the Kimberley and Northern Cape marathons in my quest to run every marathon in the country. When scheduling my races, the annual trip to Kimberley is one of the first to go into the plan – but I can only face doing the drive there once per year.

Took out the 1-wood for the long drive to Kimberley to run the Meerkat Marathon.

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