The West Rand answered the call — and then ran straight past the finish line.
Clearwater Mall’s 12th annual road race attracted 3 828 entries in 2026, surpassing the event’s target of 3 500 runners by 328 entries.
The result also represents a major increase from last year’s field of 2 863 runners, with 965 additional entries recorded this year.
Of the 3 828 runners who entered, 3 260 crossed the finish line.
Presented in partnership with Panorama Running Club, the annual event brought runners together across three distances: a 21km half marathon, 10km race and 5km fun run.
All three routes started and finished at Clearwater Mall.
Mzazi Leads The 21km Field
The 21km half marathon produced a strong men’s and women’s podium.
Gladwin Mzazi claimed the men’s title in 01:08:58, finishing ahead of Andries Sesedi, who recorded 01:11:27, and Kabelo Melamu, who finished third in 01:12:14.
In the women’s race, Cornelia Joubert took first place in 01:29:38.
Valencia Modiba finished second in 01:38:45, while Ziyanda Matsawe completed the podium in 01:39:06.
Fast Finishers In The 10km
The 10km race saw Fernando Macavele take the men’s title with a time of 00:33:41.
Kgalalelo Mafojane followed in 00:34:53, with Bokang Mabote third in 00:34:59.
The women’s 10km title went to Chrizell Roberts, who crossed the line in 00:43:01.
Maryna Bijker finished second in 00:46:35, followed by Zeenith Joseph in 00:49:01.
A Close 5km Women’s Finish
The 5km fun run delivered another set of podium performances.
Tumelo Matlebe finished first among the men in 00:20:47.
Caleb Oliver Smith placed second in 00:24:23, while Xander Diedericks finished third in 00:28:14.
The women’s race was particularly close.
Nkibelo Legoabe claimed the win in 00:29:44, just two seconds ahead of Clarise Marais, who finished in 00:29:46.
Xihluke Nkuna took third place in 00:30:42.
The West Rand Shows Up
For Clearwater Mall, the numbers tell a bigger story about the community behind the race.
“We set ourselves a target of 3 500 entries this year, and the West Rand went past it by a long shot,” says Prianka Singh Rodgers, Marketing Manager at Clearwater Mall.
“Seeing 3 828 people sign up is a wonderful reflection of the community spirit behind this race. Thank you to every runner, supporter, volunteer and member of the Panorama Running Club team who helped make the day such a success.”
The event also recognised its leading runners with prize money across the race categories.
Open-category podium prizes reached up to R2 000 in the 21km, R1 500 in the 10km and R250 in the 5km.
No Records This Time — But 2027 Awaits
While the 2026 race delivered a new benchmark for entries, no course records were broken this year.
But there is already another opportunity on the horizon.
Clearwater Mall’s annual road race will return in 2027, with the West Rand now facing a formidable benchmark of its own: surpassing the 3 828 entries recorded in 2026.
For now, the numbers tell the story.
The community was asked to show up.
The West Rand responded with 3 828 runners.
