The following minimum age restrictions apply to road races in South Africa – as determined by Athletics South Africa (ASA) for Road Running:
5 km: 9 years and older
10 km: 14 years and older
15 km: 15 years and older
Half Marathon: 16 years and older
32 km: 19 years and older
Marathon: 20 years and older
Ultramarathon: 20 years and older
Organisers should not accept entries from under-age athletes. If they do manage to enter and run then prize money will not be awarded to under-age athletes.
In Road Running the OPEN category is open to all athletes of the same gender irrespective of age. The prize money for the race winner is usually an OPEN category so anyone can win it. Please note that this may be subject to event restrictions.
In Track and Field (T&F), the SENIOR age group is open to all athletes 16 years and older on 31st December in the year of competition. In Road Races the Senior category is IN PRACTICE a closed category for athletes aged 20 to 39. However, please note that the official rule for Road Running reads: “20 years and older on 31st December in the year of competition, up to 34 years on the day of competition. If Master athletes 35-39 are not catered for in the prize lists then Senior shall be deemed to also include those athletes aged 35 to 39”.
In T&F Youth athletes are 16 or 17 years on 31st December in the year of competition. JUNIOR athletes in T&F and Cross Country are defined as 18 or 19 years old on 31st December in the year of competition. As Road Races do not have a Youth category, in Road Races Juniors are defined as 19 years and younger on 31st December in the year of competition.
The “Year of Competition” is worth explaining further. For instance, to be a JUNIOR you have to be 19 for the WHOLE YEAR. If you turn 20 on say 28th December, you are a SENIOR for the whole year from 01 January.
From age 40 upwards, athletes are known as MASTER athletes. Road races usually give prizes in 10-year age groups. The old terminology of Veterans (40-49), Masters (50-59), Grandmasters (60-69), and Great Grandmasters (70+) is still commonly used but has officially been dropped because World Athletics has a different definition for Veterans. (World Athletics classifies Women 35-49 as Veterans). Master age categories are based on your age AT the DATE of the RACE. Any athlete who has reached his/her 35th birthday. For multi-day events age is taken on the first day of competition.
In addition to the above, please note the following rules that apply:
- Any age groups and age categories, as determined by the technical regulations for that specific
competition/championship may be allowed on approval by the Provincial/ASA Board. - Athletes may not compete in more than one age category during the same competition unless there is no corresponding event within the age group they initially selected to compete in.
- In events where the competition takes place according to age categories, in addition to the OPEN category, if offered, the athlete will participate and only be eligible for the prizes in the category they
entered for, provided they display the relevant official numerical age category tags front and back on their vest. Any athlete may thus qualify for a maximum of two individual prizes (one in the Open category and a second in the age category entered for. - Age-category athletes in the Master categories may enter either their chronological age category or any age category younger than their chronological age down to the Senior level.
- Age-category athletes may not compete simultaneously in more than one individual or team category in the same competition and must declare at the time of entry which category they are competing in.
(source Baleka Baleka, Edited by Chris Goldschmidt) (updated 25 March 2015 and 27 August 2024 by Quintus van Rensburg)
