Sunday 4 October 2026 · Meyerton, Gauteng
Midvaal MadMac
A single-lap marathon through the Randvaal countryside south of Johannesburg — genuinely flat, chip-timed, and positioned early in both the Comrades centenary and Two Oceans 2027 qualifying windows. Four distances run from the same start line at Café du Cirque, so a whole club or a whole family can enter one morning.
Qualifies for Comrades & Two Oceans 2027 · organised by Meyerton Athletics Club · presented with Midvaal Local Municipality
Online entries close
Online entries have closed.
Online entries close 22 September 2026 at 21:00. Early bird pricing ends after 31 August 2026 — late fees apply from 1 September until close.
Qualifying for 2027
Built for the sub-5:00 chase
MadMac exists in the calendar exactly where the two biggest qualifier races need it to. Here's what actually matters if you're chasing a marathon qualifying time.
Single lap
Single lap, no repeated loops — the marathon does not repeat a circuit, though the course does include out-and-back sections.
Sub-5:00 standard
42.2km in under 4:59:59 (sub-5:00) qualifies for both the Comrades centenary and Two Oceans 2027. MadMac's own cut-off is generous — see the note below.
Chip-timed and GPX-verified
Mat-to-mat chip timing with checkpoints on route. The marathon measures 42.24km against the official GPX — within normal route-drawing tolerance of the standard 42.195km marathon distance.
Early in the window
2027 qualifying opens 15 June 2026 – 3 May 2027 for Comrades and qualifiers run after 1 May 2026 for Two Oceans. MadMac falls near the start of both — get it done in October and you've still got months in hand if the day doesn't go your way.
6h30 is the MadMac cut-off. 42.2km in under 4:59:59 (sub-5:00) is the qualifying standard. The race cut-off is 6h30. The qualifying standard for both Comrades and Two Oceans is 4:59:59 — finishing inside the cut-off does not mean you have qualified.
Why run this one
Four reasons
One lap, not three
A lot of qualifier marathons in Gauteng are two or three laps of a short circuit, and runners actively dislike them. MadMac's marathon runs single lap — out to Karee Road, across the R59 into the Randvaal smallholdings, and home through Daleside village, with no repeated loop.
R100 000, paid equally
Men's and women's prize money is equal across every distance and every age category — not just the open field. Paid electronically, by EFT, within seven days.
Four distances, one morning
42.2km, 22km, 11km and 5km, all starting and finishing at Café du Cirque. A club or a family can enter one event together, from age 9 up.
Five collection points, not one
Number collection runs at Sportsmans Warehouse branches in Cresta, East Rand Mall, Fourways and Vanderbijlpark before race week, plus the venue itself — no drive to Meyerton required before race day.
Distances & entry fees
Pick your distance
All four distances start and finish at Café du Cirque.
Early bird pricing ends. Late fees apply on every distance except the 5km, which stays flat at R90.
Online entries close at 21:00. After that, manual entries only, at collection points, subject to availability. None on race day.
Free shirt to first 250 entrants
Enter nowFree shirt to first 100 entrants
Enter nowFree shirt to first 50 entrants
Enter now| 42.2km | 22km | 11km | 5km | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early bird entry fee | R350 | R220 | R180 | R90 |
| Grandmaster | R270 | R180 | R140 | R90 |
| Late (after 31 August 2026) | R370 | R250 | R200 | R90 |
| Start time | 06:00 | 06:15 | 06:15 | 06:30 |
| Minimum age | 20+ | 16+ | 14+ | 9+ |
| Cut-off | 6h30 | 4h00 | 2h00 | 2h00 |
The route
Four routes, one start line
The marathon rolls gently to halfway, climbs once around 20km, then drops away over the final two kilometres into the finish. The 22km front-loads its climbing early and descends home. The 11km stays closest to the village, in the suburban streets short of the smallholding grid the 22km reaches. The 5km barely leaves the flat — 13m of vertical spread across the whole loop.
* Elevation from Strava's terrain model, not a survey — indicative, not to the metre.
Starts in Daleside, with a long eastern out-and-back along Karee Road, a western section crossing the R59 into the Randvaal smallholding grid around 3rd to 5th Road, and loops through Daleside village itself.
The first 20km rolls gently between 1 470m and 1 520m, with the low point around 16km. The only meaningful climb comes between 20km and 24km, gaining about 70m, steepest in the two kilometres to 24km. From 24km to 40km it's rolling at 1 510–1 550m, then it drops away over the final two kilometres into the finish.
* Elevation from Strava's terrain model, not a survey — indicative, not to the metre.
Heads west from Daleside, crosses the R59, and runs a rectangular loop through the smallholding grid between 2nd and 8th Road before returning.
Climbs about 66m in the first 4km, rolls at altitude through the middle, then descends from 20km to the finish — front-loaded rather than flat.
* Elevation from Strava's terrain model, not a survey — indicative, not to the metre.
Crosses the R59 west from Daleside and runs a single loop through the closer-in Randvaal streets around Rolbos, Groenbos and Fynbos, then returns. It does not reach the numbered-road grid the 22km uses, making it the most suburban of the longer distances.
About 70–90m of ascent, one rise in the first half, descent home. Carries a 10km timing point.
* Elevation from Strava's terrain model, not a survey — indicative, not to the metre.
A compact loop inside Daleside village around Karee Road, Morris Street and Kroonarend Street. Genuinely family-friendly, close to the venue.
Effectively pancake flat — 13m of total vertical spread across the whole distance. Exactly what a first-timer or a parent with a nine-year-old wants to hear.
Prize money
R100 000, paid equally
total prize money across every distance
Men's and women's prize money is equal across every distance and every category.
The MadMac field is well spread across the age categories, and the prize money is spread to match — the highlighted rows below pay down to second and third place in every masters category, not just the open field.
| Category | Place | 42.2km | 22km | 11km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 1st | R12 000 | R4 000 | R1 000 |
| Open | 2nd | R6 000 | R3 000 | R750 |
| Open | 3rd | R3 000 | R1 500 | R500 |
| Veteran 40+ | 1st | R3 500 | R2 000 | R500 |
| Veteran 40+ | 2nd | R2 000 | R1 500 | R300 |
| Veteran 40+ | 3rd | R1 000 | R800 | R250 |
| Master 50+ | 1st | R1 000 | R500 | R250 |
| Master 50+ | 2nd | R750 | R250 | — |
| Grandmaster 60+ | 1st | R1 000 | R350 | R250 |
| Grandmaster 60+ | 2nd | R750 | R250 | — |
| Junior | 1st / 2nd / 3rd | — | — | 500 / 350 / 250 |
* Prizes paid electronically, by EFT within seven days, unless WADA testing results are pending.
What runners say
4.8 stars, 176 reviews
Via Race Pass, from runners who've actually finished.
“Best race. It has stolen my heart — it's on my bucket list of races to run again.”
“Very well organised race.”
“What an awesome race. Was a really enjoyable event.”
“Great race, good route.”
What you get
Medal, shirt, timing, refreshments
Race t-shirt
Rainbow gradient (green → yellow → orange) with MadMac branding front, sponsor wall back.
Finisher medal
Silver, distance-stamped (42.2KM / 22KM etc.) on a blue ribbon. Note: the 42.2km medal is issued at the finish, not at any intermediate point — there is no separate 21km medal.
Timing & results
Mat-to-mat chip timing with checkpoints on route. Distance boards every 1km., waterpoints roughly every 3km. Results published on finishtime.co.za.
Free race shirts
- First 250 42.2km entrants
- First 100 22km entrants
- First 50 11km entrants
Additional shirts available at R250.
Goodie bags
1,000 goodie bags for the field.
Platō Meyerton discount
10% off any drink at Platō Meyerton — Show your finisher medal on 4 October. Valid that day only, at that branch only.
Practical info
Number collection & race-day logistics
Five collection points across Johannesburg and the Vaal before race week — a genuine convenience, not just admin.
| Date | Time | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 29 Sept 2026 | 11:00–17:30 | Sportsmans Warehouse, Cresta |
| 30 Sept 2026 | 11:00–17:30 | Sportsmans Warehouse, East Rand Mall |
| 1 Oct 2026 | 11:00–17:30 | Sportsmans Warehouse, Fourways |
| 2 Oct 2026 | 11:00–17:30 | Sportsmans Warehouse, Vanderbijlpark |
| 3 Oct 2026 | 08:00–17:00 | Café du Cirque, Randvaal |
| 4 Oct 2026 (race day) | 04:30–05:30 | Café du Cirque, Randvaal |
Detailed bag-drop, parking and spectator-access instructions for the 2026 edition will be published closer to race day. The course sits at roughly 1500m — worth knowing if you're travelling up from the coast.
FAQ
Questions people actually ask
Is MadMac an approved Comrades and Two Oceans qualifier?
MadMac is positioned and marketed as a single-lap Comrades and Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon qualifier, and has carried that status in previous editions. Written confirmation of the 2027 approved-qualifier listing for both races is being obtained — check back closer to race day if this matters to your entry decision.
What time do I need to run to qualify?
Under 4:59:59 for the 42.2km, for both the Comrades centenary and Two Oceans 2027. That's the qualifying standard, not MadMac's own 6h30 cut-off — see the qualifier panel above.
Can I enter on race day?
No. Manual entries are available at the collection points listed above, subject to availability, but there is no entry on race day itself.
Can I cancel my entry?
No, cancellations aren't allowed. This is a Race Pass entry-terms policy, not a MadMac-specific one — see Race Pass's own terms for the full detail.
Can I substitute my entry to another person?
Yes, substitutions are allowed up to 20 days before race day, from your Race Pass "My races" page.
Can I transfer my entry to another race?
Yes, transfers to another race are allowed up to 20 days before race day, from your Race Pass "My races" page.
Where do I collect my race number?
Five points across Johannesburg and the Vaal in race week, plus the venue itself — see the number collection table above. A Postnet-to-Postnet delivery option is also available through Race Pass.
How will I find my race number?
Race Pass publishes a race-number lookup closer to race day, linked from your entry confirmation.
Follow along
Latest from Facebook
Route changes, training meetups and race-day photos land on the club's Facebook page first.
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One email, before online entries close on 22 September 2026 at 21:00. No spam, and never shared with anyone else.