With a new office in Cape Town, Golazo is further expanding its activities in Africa. Golazo South Africa will initially focus on running, walking, and cycling events. One major event is already on the calendar: World Athletics has just announced that Golazo South Africa has been awarded the organization of the 2027 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Cape Town.
Golazo has been active in East Africa for several years, starting with an athletics division in Kenya, followed by events and a marketing and communications department in Nairobi. There has already been a partnership with South African middle-distance runner Prudence Sekgodiso (indoor world champion in the 800m), and now the opening of an office in Cape Town marks the next step.
As part of its preparations to expand activities in South Africa, Golazo, together with Athletics South Africa and Western Province Athletics, submitted a bid to host the 2027 World Trail Running Championships. The international athletics federation has now officially awarded the event to Golazo and South Africa. As a result, from October 6 to 10, 2027, a world championship in an athletics discipline will take place on the African continent once again. The Cape region, with the iconic Table Mountain, will serve as an impressive backdrop for the championships.
“We are extremely happy and honored to have been awarded these championships,” says Golazo CEO Bob Verbeeck. “It gives us a flying start in South Africa. We will be able to fully leverage our experience with major athletics events such as the Allianz Memorial Van Damme (Diamond League Brussels), the Continental Tour meeting in Nairobi, and most recently the European Running Championships. “At the same time, we are finalizing plans for new running, walking, and cycling events, as well as for supporting existing ones.” We will offer participants the opportunity to discover (events in) the Cape region and further promote the area as a paradise for active sports enthusiasts.”
These activities will be led from Cape Town by Bruce Parker-Forsyth, who has been active in sports events and sponsorships for many years. Parker-Forsyth: “Golazo South Africa looks forward to hosting the world’s best mountain and trail runners in 2027 which will include an opportunity for the ordinary South Africans experience mountain and trail running on Table Mountain. We look forward to assisting the growth of the sport in Southern Africa to give the next generation a platform to perform on the world stage.”