R250,000 winner still unpaid: Governance failures behind the Soweto Marathon prize money crisis

The 2025 Soweto Maarathon winner has not been paid.

Khoarahlane Seutloali of Lesotho crossed the finish line at the 2025 Soweto Marathon on 29 November 2025, earning R250,000 in prize money. More than three months later, the money has still not arrived.

Seutloali is not alone. Multiple elite athletes who competed in one of South Africa’s most prestigious road races remain unpaid, despite anti-doping clearances from the South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport being finalised months ago, the last reason race organisers had given for the delay.

Hollywood Athletics Club has announced it is withdrawing from all future Soweto Marathons, describing the organisers as "untrustworthy." Athletes and coaches, including Seutloali's coach Andrew Booyens, are considering legal action against Soweto Marathon NPC.

Central Gauteng Athletics, the provincial body that sanctioned the race has now responded to detailed questions from The Public Dispatch. Its answers reveal that no CGA board approved the decision to sanction the race organiser, no financial guarantees were required to protect athletes, and no due diligence was conducted to verify the organiser’s legal authority .

This is what CGA told us and what it reveals.

The winner who wasn't paid

Khoarahlane Seutloali won the 2025 Soweto Marathon outright. His R250,000 prize, the top award in a race backed by African Bank and the City of Johannesburg has not been paid.

His coach Andrew Booyens has expressed frustration directly to CGA general manager Mandla Radebe in written communications, demanding payment or at minimum a clear timeline. No satisfactory response has been received.

Anti-doping results were finalised and released months ago, removing the last stated reason for the delay. Payments have still not materialised.

A club walks away

Hollywood Athletics Club has announced it is withdrawing from all future editions of the Soweto Marathon, describing the race organisers as "untrustworthy."

Club representatives confirmed that the payment failure extends beyond athletes, vendors and suppliers connected to the race may also be owed money. The club said it is considering legal options.

The withdrawal of a prominent athletics club from one of South Africa's most prestigious road races is a significant reputational blow and one that CGA's own response suggests could have been avoided.

No Board. No resolution. No legal advice.

The most significant disclosure in CGA's written response to The Public Dispatch concerns how the decision to sanction Soweto Marathon NPC was made in the first place.

When asked for board resolutions, meeting minutes or written legal opinions supporting the sanctioning decision, CGA revealed that no such documents exist, because no board made the decision.

CGA stated:

"The sanctioning decision relating to the 2025 African Bank Soweto Marathon was taken during a period in which the CGA Board had been dissolved and the federation was under the administration of an appointed administrator. As such, the decision was not taken through the CGA Board structures. The sanctioning decision was approved by the then Administrator, Trevor Fredericks, acting within the authority of the administrative mandate at the time."

The administrator, Trevor Fredericks, subsequently informed the CGA Council of the decision at a November 2025 meeting and included it in his handover report to the incoming board. CGA confirmed that no board resolution exists in relation to the sanctioning decision.

When asked whether CGA obtained independent legal advice before sanctioning the NPC, particularly given the competing ownership claims. CGA's answer to three separate questions on due diligence was identical: "Not applicable."

No financial safeguards for Athletes from the outset

The Soweto Marathon attracts sponsorship from African Bank and the City of Johannesburg, making it one of the most commercially significant road races in South Africa.

Yet CGA has confirmed that no financial safeguards were required before the race was sanctioned.

In response to questions about whether prize money was secured or ring-fenced before the event, CGA stated:

"At the time of sanctioning, Central Gauteng Athletics did not require race organisers to submit proof of secured or ring-fenced funds specifically for prize money, nor were organisers required to provide financial guarantees for such payments."

In many major international road races, escrow arrangements ensure athletes are paid regardless of what happens after the race. No such requirement existed for the 2025 Soweto Marathon.

CGA acknowledged the gap, stating it is now reviewing its sanctioning framework to introduce additional financial compliance measures. That review comes too late for the athletes currently waiting to be paid.

The ownership dispute CGA walked into

The prize money crisis cannot be understood without the governance dispute that preceded it.

The 2025 race was staged against a backdrop of competing ownership claims between the historic Soweto Marathon Trust and the newer Soweto Marathon NPC, which ultimately organised the event.

Athletics South Africa president James Moloi told Parliament in October 2025 that the Soweto Marathon Trust remained the lawful owner of the event ,a position stemming from his earlier tenure as CGA chairperson.

Despite this, CGA initially approved the Trust to stage the race before reversing that decision and sanctioning the NPC instead.

When asked what prompted the reversal and who initiated it, CGA directed The Public Dispatch back to the administrator's decision. When asked whether the Trust was formally notified in writing before its approval was withdrawn, CGA again referred to the same answer.

When asked whether any CGA officials or board members were involved in establishing or advising the NPC, a direct conflict of interest question, CGA's new board stated:

"It would be irresponsible for us to comment on the administrative or historical matters of external entities."

CGA's Concern and its limits

When the prize money crisis became public, CGA issued a statement expressing concern and confirming it had received multiple complaints from winners.

CGA was careful in its response to The Public Dispatch to clarify that it did not express "surprise" but rather "concern".

As the body responsible for sanctioning the race and approving its organiser, CGA confirmed that the responsibility for prize money payments rests with the race organiser.

"The race organiser is responsible for the financial administration of the race, including prize money payments. This is non-negotiable," CGA said.

However, CGA also acknowledged that it became aware of concerns regarding prize money payments only after the anti-doping process concluded. They said they had no mechanism to verify whether funds were secured before a race took place.

A New Board, a fresh start but old questions remain

CGA's responses were notable for how consistently the newly constituted board distanced itself from the decisions of its predecessor.

On questions about the NPC's formation, the conflict of interest process, the legal basis for recognising the NPC over the Trust, and whether criteria used to approve the NPC would be published, the board's position was consistent, it would not revisit past decisions.

CGA said:

"As a newly constituted Board, our focus is on identifying gaps. We are committed to acknowledging them, learning from them, and implementing improvements to governance and compliance going forward. Our approach is forward-looking."

For Seutloali and the athletes still waiting to be paid, forward-looking is not enough.

What happens next

CGA confirmed it is actively engaging Soweto Marathon NPC to encourage prompt payment of athletes. The federation has stated it expects all financial obligations to be honoured.

The new CGA board has said it will engage stakeholders to find a sustainable governance solution for the race going forward, including clarifying whether Soweto Marathon NPC remains the recognised organiser.

CGA said:

"The current Board of Central Gauteng Athletics has not yet formally deliberated on the future organisational arrangements relating to the Soweto Marathon."

For now, the R250,000 winner is still waiting.