32nd CSIR Annual Road Race marks 80 years of research excellence
Pretoria skies were well overcast when hundreds of runners gathered at the starting line of the 32nd Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Annual Road Race on 18 October 2025. By 6:00, the CSIR campus had transformed into a festival of colour, movement and eager anticipation. Seasoned athletes and casual walkers alike laced up and took to the roads, united by the shared thrill of the race.
This year's event, powered by Bestmed Medical Scheme,coincided with the CSIR's 80th anniversary. It was a tribute to endurance, innovation and community.
The race featured 21 km, 10 km, and 5 km races, along with fun walks for families and runners of all ages. By 9:00, the main events had wrapped up just as a soft drizzle began to fall, the kind of weather runners call a blessing.
"It was a tough route, but it was nice," said Mr Ntsako Maluleke, who powered to victory in the men's 21 km race. "My training is coming nicely. I'm preparing for the upcoming Jacaranda City Challenge, so I got the number I wanted. When I finished, it was just starting to drizzle, the perfect conditions to pull off a win. The running gods were with us."
Ms Sibahle Shabalala took women's honours in the 21 km, while in the 10km race, Musa Sibiya and Violet Mogano claimed the men's and women's titles respectively, clocking impressive times of 33:02 and 39:20.
First-time Race Director Ms Noluvuyo Sosibo was pleased with the turnout. "This was the 32nd annual race, with the CSIR turning 80 years old, so it's a special one for us this year," she said, beaming. "It went extremely well. When I saw the turnout, I was very happy."
Just over three decades old, the CSIR Road Race has become more than a fixture on the Gauteng running calendar, evolving into a celebration of spirit, science and community resilience. Families, colleagues and friends of the runners lined the roads and finishers crossed the line to cheers that echoed across the research campus.
As runners cooled down under the soft drizzle, the event stood as both a nod to the past and a stride into the future – a reminder that progress, whether in science or sport, is built one step at a time.
