New partnership puts total wellbeing in the spotlight as Pretoria’s popular night race combines running, community and financial confidence
Seen Here: Wellness goes beyond the finish line. Sanlam joins the sold-out Sappi Tuks Night Race as Official Financial Services Partner, bringing financial fitness into the spotlight alongside physical health. Because every step towards a healthier body should also be a step towards a more secure future. Photo Credit: Supplied
PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA — The starting line at the sold-out 2026 Sappi Tuks Night Race will carry a message that goes beyond kilometres and finish times, with Sanlam joining the event as its Official Financial Services Partner and placing financial fitness alongside physical wellbeing.
Hosted by TuksSport at the University of Pretoria’s Hillcrest Sports Campus, the annual night race takes place on Wednesday, 9 September, featuring 5km and 10km events. Both races are scheduled to start at 18:30.
The new partnership between Sanlam, TuksSport and title sponsor Sappi is built around a simple proposition: true wellness requires both a healthy body and a healthy financial future.
As the race brings together students, families, recreational runners and competitive athletes, Sanlam will use the platform to encourage conversations about financial confidence, practical money management and long-term financial wellbeing.
Joshua Chitiska, Deputy Director: Enterprises and Services at TuksSport, said the partnership reinforces the broader purpose of the event.
“We are excited to welcome Sanlam with a focus on what truly matters – wellness in all its forms.”
Chitiska said the partnership creates a natural connection between athletic preparation and financial preparedness, arguing that confidence on the road should be matched by confidence about the future.
“For us, this partnership is about empowering our runners to be strong on the road and secure in life,” he said.
Financial fitness meets the finish line
Sanlam’s presence will come to life through an Activation Zone at the race, where runners, supporters and the UP-Tuks community will be able to explore financial fitness, discover practical money-management tools and consider their own financial goals.
The activation reflects a growing understanding of wellness as a multidimensional concept encompassing physical, mental and financial wellbeing.
Virginia Nkosi, Executive Stakeholder Relations at Sanlam, said the event provides an opportunity to engage younger audiences around decisions that can influence their futures.
“The Sappi Tuks Night Race brings together students and the broader Pretoria community around health, wellbeing and a shared sense of possibility,” she said.
“For Sanlam, it is an opportunity to connect with young people in a space that matters to them and to encourage conversations about financial confidence and the choices that can help shape their futures.”
A race built around more than running
The partnership adds another dimension to an event that has established itself as a major fixture on Pretoria’s running calendar.
The 2026 race was sold out ahead of race night, with organisers promising a combination of neon lights, music, entertainment and community spirit at the Hillcrest Sports Campus.
Sappi’s Michelle Le Roux, Public Relations and Marketing Lead for Sappi Southern Africa, said the partnership aligns with the company’s broader focus on purpose and wellbeing as it celebrates its 90th year.
“In our 90th year, thriving means healthy people and healthy futures,” Le Roux said.
She added that Sappi’s Thrive Strategy is centred on unlocking the power of purpose, with Sanlam’s approach to financial wellness complementing that vision.
The event also carries a significant community-development element. Sappi is matching every entry sold with a donation to the #UPDegreesDelivered Campaign, while selected University of Pretoria students are being presented with their degree certificates during the evening’s prize-giving programme.
With the race combining sport, entertainment, student participation and social impact, organisers are positioning the Sappi Tuks Night Race as more than a conventional road-running event.
Its message is increasingly about the journey beyond the finish line — staying active, building community and making choices that contribute to a healthier and more secure future.
For runners, the challenge remains measured in kilometres. For Sanlam, however, the bigger finish line is financial confidence.
Run the night. Own the light. Live the Tuks experience. Invest in your run — and invest in your future.
