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Loskop Marathon race photo

Loskop Marathon

The city you want to run becomes your next trip.

Loskop Marathon race photoMiddelburg
ZA
Portiatn · CC BY-SA 3.0Pierre André · CC BY 4.0
Race date Date TBD
Date TBD
City · Distance
Middelburg · 50km · 21.1km · 10km +1 more events
Entry fee
ZAR 350Varies by event and entry period
Status
ClosedSee how to enter ↗
Official website ↗D-day as of Nov 15, 2026
Loskop Marathon race photo
Portiatn · CC BY-SA 3.0
Loskop Marathon race photo
Pierre André · CC BY 4.0
About the raceRunner storiesHow to enterCourseRace PrepTravel
Why you dream of this race

THE DREAM

About Loskop Marathon — what makes it special

ABOUT THE RACE

A day you'll remember,
long past the finish line.

A 50 km ultra running from Middelburg in Mpumalanga province to Loskop Dam.

It starts in a highveld town and finishes at the dam resort, so it is mostly downhill, and it is popular as a Comrades qualifier.

A 10 km and a 21 km run on the same day.

The road to your own record

Picture the course in advance
and find the pace that fits you.

When the city cheers

Streets lined with cheers, runners all around.
You'll be part of that scene.

The trip that follows the run

Take it slow with the finish still in you,
and meet the city all over again.

Loskop Marathon runner reviews and race reports

Stories from runners who've been there.

From the joy of finishing to the tough moments — read what runners wrote themselves.

Race reports: 2
Stuart Mann (The Running Mann)Ran in 2019
“I always pride myself on pushing through this long, dreary flat section”

A detailed breakdown of the gently rising first half, the Kranspoort descent and the two hills late in the race. The writer advises arriving early because Friday traffic is heavy.

Read the original on The Running Mann
Zoe HinisRan in 2015 · Finish time 6:54:49
“one of the very best organised marathons in this entire country”

An account of a 50 km first ultra. The runner praised the countryside from Middelburg to Loskop Dam and the way the race was run.

Read the original on Zoe Hinis

We translated a short line from each public race report and summarized the experience. Finish times are as stated by the author, and past editions may differ from this year's weather and operations.

See it on video,
feel it through their stories.

Preview the course and read what runners who went before you wrote.

Charles Tjiane wins 50km Forever Resorts Loskop Marathon

View on YouTube

This may be from a past edition. Check the organizer for this year's course and operations.

The way in that fits you

YOUR ENTRY

How to enter Loskop Marathon — registration routes

How to reach the start line —
start with what fits you.

Here are the ways to enter and what each requires.
Check the organizer's page for whether entries are open.

Next edition entry

Entry dates for the next edition haven't been announced yet

First come, first served

Entry cost ZAR 490

Entries are online only.

The 50 km is capped at 3,500 runners, and you can pay in installments.

In 2026, entries closed at 17:00 on April 7.

Minimum age 20;

medical information must be submitted.

Foreign runners need a letter of permission to race from their home federation.

A temporary license cannot be used for the 50 km.

Organizer's page

Other

Entry cost ZAR 50

The 5 km Fun Run accepts entries only in person at the start on race day.

Organizer's page
Official race websiteEntry options
From the start line to the finish

RACE WEEK

Loskop Marathon course map and elevation

Your 50km

Know the course and time limit, and race day comes into focus.

Runners start · local timeFrom 06:00
Time limit7 hours
Show more

50 km: 7 hours (21 km: 4 hours)

EventStartEntry feeField sizeBib pickup
21.1km Wild Challenge21.1km06:30ZAR 3501,5002026-04-25 06:00
10km Tough Run10km06:30ZAR 1205002026-04-25 06:00
5km Fun Run (Rhino Fun Run 4.9km)4.9km06:45ZAR 50——
50km Ultra Marathon50km06:00ZAR 4903,5002026-04-25 06:00
START

Steve Tshwete Municipal Offices, Middelburg

50 km start GPS per the official site: S25°46'32" E29°27'32"

Start · Google Maps
FINISH

Loskop Dam, a Forever Resort

10 km start GPS per the official site: S25°25'23.9" E29°23'12.1"

Finish · Google Maps

Cutoff
25km 3:45 · 36km 5:15 · 42km 6:00

Show more

Runners start · local time — 50 km at 06:00 (Middelburg town hall), 21 km at 06:30, 10 km at 06:30 (resort) — based on the 2026 edition

The Loskop Marathon is a point-to-point 50 km ultra from Middelburg to Loskop Dam Resort,

known among South African runners as a build-up race for the Comrades Marathon.

In 2026 it started at 06:00 on Saturday, April 25 outside the Middelburg town hall,

with 21 km, 10 km and 5 km runs held the same day, all finishing at Loskop Dam.

According to one runner report, the start is at about 1,500 m above sea level and the first half is a long, gentle climb.

After the highest point (about 1,601 m), just before the 21 km mark, the course descends the Kranspoort pass,

and the finish area sits at about 1,012 m. The second half reportedly has two short but tough hills.

The roads are closed to traffic and the full width is used, and aid stations hand out Coca-Cola and water sachets.

The time limit is 7 hours, with time limit at 25 km, 36 km and 42 km mark.

In 2026, 4,588 runners entered and ran, and one report called it one of the best-organized marathons in the country.

After the finish, many runners recover by resting at the resort pool (based on the 2026 edition).

The prize-giving was held at 11:00 for the 10 km, 11:30 for the 21 km and 12:00 for the 50 km.

Participant benefits

Timing chip

Water stations

Aid stations

Finisher medal

Bag drop

Start shuttle

Where and when to collect your Loskop Marathon race bib

To the start line,
step by step.

Pick up your bib, check your wave.
So on race morning, you can just run.

Bib pickup

No separate expo has been announced; only the Packet Pickup venue is listed.
April 18–19, 2026 / April 24, 2026, 12:00–20:00 (as of 2026)

Woodmead Retail Park (in advance), Steve Tshwete Municipal Offices

race weekend

Google MapsDirections

Stations & transport near the venue

Source · checked Nov 11, 2026

More details

Getting to the start

Steve Tshwete Municipal Offices, Middelburg

50km start at 06:00. Secure parking in Middelburg costs R50. A pre-booked R100 bus (750 tickets) runs from Loskop Dam to the Middelburg start between 04:00 and 04:45. 2026 arrangements.

21km runners can take a free shuttle from the resort main entrance / N11 from 05:00, last bus 06:10. Tog bags are transported free from all start venues to the finish.

Map

Getting to the finish

Loskop Dam, a Forever Resort

Return buses leave Middelburg from 13:00 and the last bus leaves Loskop at 14:00. The N11 to Loskop closes at 05:00 on race day; no transport runs from Middelburg to the resort.

Map
Source · checked Nov 11, 2026
READY TO RUN

From race morning to after the finish.

Your start time, fuel and bag drop.
Know them ahead and the run feels easier.

Because the finish is at the dam resort, 50 km runners have two options.

In 2026, a pre-booked bus (R100, limited to 750 seats) from Loskop Dam to the Middelburg start left between 04:00 and 04:45, and no tickets were sold on race day.

Alternatively, if you stay in Middelburg, you can park in front of the town hall (R50) and walk straight to the start line.

One report said traffic toward Johannesburg and Pretoria was extremely heavy on the Friday,

which added a lot of travel time, so it is safer to arrive early the day before.

Bib is on Friday from 12:00 to 20:00 at the Middelburg town hall, and also on race day from 04:30 to 06:00 (as of 2026).

The 21 km starts at the Damwal Complex at 06:30, and a free shuttle runs from the resort entrance (N11) between 05:00 and 06:10.

The N11 closes at 05:00, so don't be late.

Put your bag in your own clear plastic bag and hand it in at the open truck, and it will be taken to the finish.

On the 50 km, aid stations are every 3 km in the first half and every 2.5 km in the second half, with Coca-Cola and purified water sachets.

The time limit times are 3:45 at 25 km, 5:15 at 36 km and 6:00 at 42 km;

the official site does not make clear whether these are clock time or elapsed time, so check the on-site briefing.

You must wear your bib on your chest to enter the finish, and finishers receive a resort entry voucher.

The sun is strong during the day, so bring sunscreen. (Based on the 2026 edition)

Times are local to Middelburg. Check the latest official information before the race.

A trip built around the race

STAY A LITTLE

MAKE IT A RUNTRIP

The race is one day,
the trip can be longer.

From a hotel that makes race morning easy,
to the meals and views you'll enjoy with the medal on.

The Blue Door on Morkel Street

Accommodation · 557m · 8-minute walk

10.0/10(13)
View on Booking.com

Hotels near the Loskop Marathon start line in Middelburg

Hotels that make race morning easyHotels to rest in right after the finish

View all →

Distances are straight-line from the start.
Check real travel times and booking terms with each hotel.

Distances are straight-line from the finish.
Check real travel times and booking terms with each hotel.

The start and finish are 40km apart.

The Blue Door on Morkel Street

Accommodation · 557m · 8-minute walk

10.0/10(13)
View on Booking.com

Pillowtalk guest house your home away from home

Accommodation · 1.2km · 19-minute walk

9.5/10(60)
View on Booking.com

Swipe sideways to see more hotels.

Tours and activities around the Loskop Marathon in Middelburg

Time for you, before and after the finish

View all →

Rest a little, wander a little.
Pick what suits you and whoever you're with.

What to see in Middelburg after the race

Seeing Middelburg with the medal on

View all →

The city you ran — this time, a little slower.

Eating well is part of the tripA meal before the race, a dinner to celebrate the finish.View on map

Hotel distances are straight-line from the start. Experiences, food and sights are travel products in Middelburg.

Flights, hotels, airport transfers and budget for Loskop Marathon

TRAVEL ESSENTIALS

Trip prep too,
light and in one place.

ChecklistLocal eSIM · Trip.comFlight delay or cancellation compensation · AirHelpPace calculator

Once saved, you can open this page without an internet connection

Runner stories and questions about Loskop Marathon

RUN TOGETHER

With runners who dream of
the same start line.

Be the first runner
Leave this room's first post

Ask the runners preparing for this raceWrite a post
CourseBib & expoGetting aroundStay
Middelburg runners' room
MORE RACES.

Frequently asked questions about Loskop Marathon

FAQ
How do I register for Loskop Marathon?

Entry routes: First come, first served · Other.

Registration is handled on the official website.

How much is the Loskop Marathon entry fee?

The main event costs ZAR 350.

What is the time limit for Loskop Marathon?

50 km: 7 hours (21 km: 4 hours).

What distances does Loskop Marathon offer?

10K · 5K · Half · ultra50.

What time should I arrive at the Loskop Marathon start area?

Pre-booked bus (Loskop to Middelburg) 04:00–04:45, Middelburg Packet Pickup 04:30–06:00.

Where does Loskop Marathon start?

Steve Tshwete Municipal Offices, Middelburg.

What is the Loskop Marathon course like?

The Loskop Marathon is a point-to-point 50 km ultra from Middelburg to Loskop Dam Resort,

known among South African runners as a build-up race for the Comrades Marathon.

Where does Loskop Marathon finish?

Loskop Dam, a Forever Resort.

What are the Loskop Marathon cutoff times?

50 km: 25 km at 3:45, 36 km at 5:15, 42 km at 6:00 (clock or elapsed time unclear).

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