Windhoek, June 17 — The 2026 Nedbank Citi Dash have set their sights on having 5 000 people partake in this year’s
competition, scheduled to take place on 5 and 6 September 2026, at its new home, the Vegkop Stadium at Windhoek High School (WHS).
This will be the second successive year that the Nedbank Citi Dash takes place at the Vegkop Stadium, following its successful move to the venue in 2025. Following what was originally a modest city run, the Nedbank Citi Dash has established itself as a cornerstone national platform for health, wellness, community connection, and active living.
This edition will target schools, professional and social running clubs, professional and recreational runners, health and lifestyle enthusiasts, media houses, corporate teams, state-owned enterprises and government departments. Besides providing a competitive platform for professional athletes, the event also plays a crucial role in fostering the nation’s growing running culture.
Speaking at the launch, Acting Deputy Director in the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts, and Culture (MYEISAC), Mzee Letu Hamhola, said this year’s Nedbank Citi Dash is a celebration of healthy living, sports, lifestyle and great outdoors family activities and speaks directly to the spirit of the event: ‘This event deserves to be called a city event, not just Nedbank Namibia’s event. It’s a people’s event. We are not only unveiling another race, but we are unveiling a movement,
the Nedbank Citi Dash has become one of the best races, not only in Windhoek, but in the whole
country. It is a movement where we come together so that we can move to connect and to celebrate the power of community through running.
He commended Nedbank Namibia for their continued to investment in Namibian sports, wellness, and community development.
With more Namibians embracing running, the positive impact on public health and well-being is undeniable, and the Nedbank Citi Dash stands at the forefront of this positive movement. In 2024, the Nedbank Citi Dash attracted over 2,400 participants, while in 2025, more than 3,000 runners participated.
The festivities kick off on Saturday, 5 September, at the WHS Vegkop Stadium with the “LiveXpo” featuring vendor stalls, food, family activities, and race pack collection. Sunday morning takes it to the streets, starting at 07:00 with the 10km Elite Run, where top male and female runners must meet qualifying times of under 55 and 60 minutes, respectively, to compete for trophies and cash prizes.
10km fun run will follow at 07:15, and then at 07:45, the 5km race will commence. All finishers within the cut-off times will receive a commemorative medal. Race organiser Frank Bombosch said this year’s event will be anchored on two key pillars: youth
participation and safety first. This initiative aims to drive immense engagement from secondary schools, youth clubs, and athletic development structures nationwide.
The main race entry fees are set at N$350 for elite running categories and N$250 for the fun run. All under-18 runners will only pay N$50 to enter into the competitive and fun running categories. We see now that Namibians have taken the sport of running to the next level. In the last Comrades Marathon in South Africa, we saw over 90 Namibians take part in the race. This means that Namibia had the second biggest country represented at this huge event, which is one of the world’s best and most known events, with people travelling from all over the world to take part.’
He added that the race will start earlier as per athletes requests, while explaining that sport has become an economic business sector by teaching youngsters through sports to become good employees and employment creators: ‘This can be achieven by driving active sport tourism through developing trails for people to cycle, run and hike. This then creates employement and contribute to the country’s economic development.
The event will also see traffic closures across major sections of the Windhoek Central Business District (CBD) to give participants a vehicle-free opportunity to participate safely through the city.
In her address, Nedbank Namibia Managing Director, Martha Murorua, said Nedbank Namibia, prides itself as a bank that does good in communities they oparate in, this means the eveything the bank everything does- including sponsorships – is impact-driven and designed to contribute meaningfully to the growth and wellbeing of the communities we serve: ‘The Nedbank Citi Dash is one of the ways in which we bring this promise to life. At Nedbank Namibia, we believe that wellness is not a once-off
decision, and it is not something we simply tick off a list. Wellness is a journey – a continuous, daily commitment to becoming better and more balanced versions of ourselves. Since its inception in 2019, the Nedbank Citi Dash has grown into one of our flagship events – not only in participation, but in impact. What started as a race has evolved into a platform that brings together Namibians, united by a shared commitment to healthier lifestyles and stronger communities.’
Muroura added that Nedbank Namibia’s commitment to sport in the country runs deep and wide, through supporting various sports codes such as cycling, volleyball, cricket, soccer, netball, athletics, and golf – all aligned to our broader vision of driving development and participation.
Online entries will officially open on 17 June and will run up to 17 August. A dedicated interactive Nedbank Citi Dash information and registration booth at the Health & Lifestyle Expo (Nam fitness Expo) will be at the Windhoek Country Club in July, with the implementation of the Youth Health Drive, featuring “Go Run” pop-up activation events directly at regional schools taking
place in August.
For general registration enquiries, corporate packages, or school or group bookings, please visit the official web portal at www.citidash.com.na or reach out directly to the event coordination team via email at frank@cycletec.com.na.
