Overview

About this event

The 2026 Meerkat Marathon took place Saturday, 31 January 2026 from 05:30, at Vermeulens, N12 in Kimberley, Northern Cape, South Africa. Distances included a 42km, 21km and 10km races.

The Meerkat Marathon originated in 2016. The race has been held every year, only taking a break during the 2021 lockdown. Initially the purpose of the race was to raise funds for charity, but the race helps to keep the Kimberley Road Runners club up and running. The event is one of the largest and most attended road running events in the Northern Cape. This year, the race is proudly sponsored by Bayagro Kimberley and Vermeulens.

The Meerkat Marathon is a qualifier for the Comrades and Two Oceans Ultra Marathons.

We invite all athletes to come and enjoy the race and experience Kimberley Road Runners' hospitality!

Races

Distances & fees

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

Saturday 31 Jan 2026

Distance	Entry Fee	Temp Licence	Type	Start	Cut-off	Details
Marathon Comrades Two Oceans	ZAR 310	ZAR 70	Road	05:30	11:30
Minimum age 20 years Comrades qualifier Yes Two Oceans qualifier Yes
Half-Marathon	ZAR 240	ZAR 70	Road	05:30	09:30
Minimum age 16 years
10km Run	ZAR 200	ZAR 70	Road	06:00	08:00
Minimum age 15 years

Temporary ASA licence fee — only payable if you are not a member of an affiliated running club.

Featured

Featured race

Featured 2026

Verified · 9 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

Downloads

Resources

• Prize Money (34.01 KB)

Press

Press & Review

Independent reviews and coverage of this event.

The Running Mann

Meerkat Marathon (The One With A Presidential Sendoff) - The Running Mann

A marathon around the diamond mining town of Kimberley and through her Big Hole. Started by a president and finished with a burger this is the biggest race in the Northern Cape.

Read the full review on The Running Mann

Where

Location

Where the event starts and how to get there.

Vermeulens, N12

Get directions

Contact

Contact the organiser

Organiser

Kimberley Road Runners

[email protected] +27798933402

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

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Message

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Nearby

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History

Past editions

Previous edition: 2025

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