NAIROBI, Kenya, May 19, 2026 – Former world record holder for the men’s marathon Paul Tergat and four-time Boston Marathon champion Catherine Ndereba are among ambassadors for the newly established Nelson Mandela Marathon.
The two were unveiled at a launch ceremony in Cape Town on Monday, alongside 2004 New York Marathon champion Hendrick Ramaala and the 2025 World Indoor 800m champion Prudence Sekgodiso.
The quartet will be expected to spread the gospel of the newly-formed road race and raise the profile of the competition whose first edition is set for October 18 in Cape Town.
Named after South Africa’s first black president and global icon Nelson Mandela, organisers are targeting approximately 20,000 participants across four major categories of competition – 5K, 10K, half marathon and the full marathon.
Beyond the road race, organisers hope that the marathon will help unite the world around values that Mandela held dear, including courage, equality, dignity, solidarity, freedom and justice.
Who better to help amplify this message than Tergat and Co who have continued to inspire younger generations even after hanging their spikes.
Tergat, also a five-time World Cross Country champion, was until last year the president of the National Olympics Committee of Kenya (NOC-K).
He is also the founder of the Sports Personality of the Year Awards (SOYA), an annual gala that recognises and fetes Kenyan sportspersons who have made an indelible mark across different categories, including at the schools level.
On the other hand, Ndereba is an assistant commissioner at Kenya Prisons where she has continually mentored athletes within the institution to greater heights.
She has also spoken at various forums involving athletes, encouraging them to make wise decisions when it comes to investing their winnings, mental health and leading a disciplined and sober lifestyle.
