13°
Cloudy, calm
HI 19°
LO 14°
13°C at the start, no wind · 2:04:55 course record, the fastest marathon ever run on African soil
8th Major · Confirmed Jun 10, 2026 · Africa's first
Cape Town Marathon
Africa's first Major. A loop under Table Mountain that produced the fastest marathon ever run on African soil.
Cape Town is the eighth Abbott World Marathon Major and the first in Africa, confirmed on June 10, 2026 after passing its final candidacy evaluation. The 2026 edition delivered the fastest marathon ever run on African soil, 2:04:55, with the top ten all inside the old course record. The 2027 ballot runs June 10 to 24, 2026, results on June 26, and two thirds of entries stay reserved for African runners.
Ballot opens
Jun 10, 2026
Window opens · free to enter
Passed
Ballot closes
Jun 24, 2026
Last day to submit
Next up
Draw / results
Jun 26, 2026
Winners notified
Race day
May 23, 2027
May 23, 2027
APPLICATIONS OPEN · CLOSES JUN 24
Climate
Past three years on race day
Historical conditions on the course, what to expect, what to pack.
CANCELLED
Gale-force winds, race cancelled
HI 25°
LO 15°
60 km/h gusts wrecked the start infrastructure · called off 90 minutes before the gun · the last October edition
20°DAY HI
Windy, gusty
HI 20°
LO 13°
Gusty on course, headwind in the closing kilometres · Glenrose Xaba still broke the South African record
Course·
City loop, Green Point through the City Bowl and southern suburbs
DHL Stadium, Green Point → Vlei Road, Green Point
Cool, 13–20°C
Elevation
Course profile
No official elevation figure is published. Third-party measurements put total gain between roughly 205m and 380m, and they agree on the shape: a flat opening 8 km, a rolling middle through the southern suburbs, one sustained climb through the UCT corridor around km 24 to 27, then a flat final 10 km along the Sea Point promenade.
PAST RESULTS
Ballot history
Sanlam Cape Town Marathon has not published application counts yet. Browse the 2026 ballot results for dates, race-day data, and what we know about each edition.
2026
→
2:04:55
Fastest marathon ever run on African soil
17TH EDITION
2025
→
60 km/h
The gusts that forced cancellation on race morning
CANCELLED
FAQ
Common questions
When is the 2027 Cape Town Marathon?
The 2027 Sanlam Cape Town Marathon runs on Sunday, May 23, 2027. It is Cape Town's first edition as a full Abbott World Marathon Major and the first Major ever held in Africa. Race weekend is May 22 to 23, with the Peace and Trail runs on the Saturday.
How do I enter the 2027 Cape Town Marathon ballot?
The ballot opened on June 10, 2026 and closes on June 24, 2026 at 7PM SAST, via the official Howler entry platform. Applying costs a non-refundable R5 fee (about $0.30) donated to a race-linked charity. Every applicant is notified on June 26, 2026, and successful entries are charged automatically the same day.
Is Cape Town a World Marathon Major?
Yes. On June 10, 2026 AbbottWMM confirmed the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon as the eighth Abbott World Marathon Major, joining formally at the May 23, 2027 edition. Finishers of the 2026 race received provisional stars that were upgraded retroactively.
What are the odds of getting in through the ballot?
Not yet published. Cape Town ran its first ballot for the 2026 race and the organisers have not released application counts or an acceptance rate. Two thirds of entries are reserved for African participants, a commitment the race carried into Major status.
Are there qualifying times for Cape Town?
No. Cape Town has no time-qualifying standards. The only priority pathway is the Candidacy Club, for runners who finished the race during the candidacy years 2022 to 2024. Everyone else enters through the ballot, an official international tour operator, or a charity entry.
What is the Cape Town Marathon course like?
A city loop from Green Point past the V&A Waterfront, the Castle of Good Hope, and the City Bowl, out through Woodstock, Salt River, Observatory, Mowbray, and Rondebosch, with one sustained climb near UCT around km 25, then a flat final 10 km along the Sea Point promenade. It is fast: the 2026 edition produced a 2:04:55 course record, the fastest marathon ever run on African soil.
Does Cape Town count toward the Six Star medal?
The original Six Star medal is unchanged. Cape Town joins the expanded series, and AbbottWMM has announced a Nine Star medal program that begins once the series reaches nine races. Shanghai is the next candidate, with its final evaluation in December 2026.
Why did the race move from October to May?
For the weather. The race CEO said the October date never delivered great marathon conditions, and the 2025 edition was cancelled on race morning after gale-force winds damaged the start infrastructure. The first May edition in 2026 got a calm, cool 13°C morning and the course record fell by more than three minutes.