Overview

About this event

The 2025 John Nugent Memorial Marathon took place Friday, 14 February 2025 to Saturday, 15 February 2025 from 05:30, at Desert Palace Hotel & Casino Resort in Upington, Northern Cape, South Africa. Distances included a 42km, 21km, 10km and 5km races.

The Energy Lab Athletic Company is proud to present Upington's premier running festival. Hosted by the popular Desert Palace Resort and Casino, runners can choose from to run either a full marathon (Two Oceans and Comrades Qualifier), half marathon or 10km.

The relatively flat routes take runners along the banks of the Orange River and through magnificent vineyards and pecan orchards. The early start means that runners don't need to fear the the famed Upington heat.

Finishers all receive a medal and the racing snakes will be competing for generous cash prizes generously made available by our title sponsor the Desert Palace Resort and Casino.

Races

Distances & fees

Distances, start times, cut-offs and entry fees.

Friday 14 Feb 2025 1 race

Distance	Entry Fee	Type	Start	Cut-off	Details
5km Fun Run	ZAR 100	Road	18:30	—
Minimum age 9 years

Saturday 15 Feb 2025 3 races

Distance	Entry Fee	Type	Start	Cut-off	Details
Marathon Comrades Two Oceans	ZAR 250	Road	05:30	—
Minimum age 20 years Comrades qualifier Yes Two Oceans qualifier Yes
Half-Marathon	ZAR 200	Road	05:45	—
Minimum age 16 years
10km Road	ZAR 150	Road	06:00	—
Minimum age 14 years

Featured

Featured race

Featured 2026

Verified · 5 days ago

Midrand Striders Chamberlain Country Classic

30 Aug 2026 First start 06:30 Kyalami Corner

Half Marathon 10km 5km

Entry from R100 Save Open race

Course

Route maps & elevation

Route maps and elevation profiles.

• Route map

Press

Press & Review

Independent reviews and coverage of this event.

The Running Mann

John Nugent Marathon (Upington: The Final Frontier) - The Running Mann

Stuck in the middle of the Kalahari Desert, Upington is both the hottest town in South Africa and the hardest to get to - making it the perfect location for a marathon.

Read the full review on The Running Mann

Where

Location

Where the event starts and how to get there.

Desert Palace Hotel & Casino Resort

Get directions

Contact

Contact the organiser

Organiser

Energy Lab Athletics Company

[email protected] +27795229566

Send a message to the organiser and they'll reply to the email you provide.

Your name

Email

Message

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History

Past editions

Previous edition: 2024

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