Sanlam Cape Town Marathon 2025: cancelled edition
Gale-force winds forced the cancellation of the 2025 Cape Town Marathon 90 minutes before the gun, with about 24,000 runners due to start, and pushed the race to its new late-May date.
The 2025 Sanlam Cape Town Marathon was cancelled at around 04:45 on race morning, October 19, 2025, after overnight gale-force winds blew over fencing, gazebos, and race infrastructure and the structural engineer could not certify the start towers, scaffold bridge, and medical tents. Registered 2025 runners earned a Candidacy Club point toward priority entry for the 2027 to 2029 editions.
What made 2025 notable
The cancellation landed mid-candidacy, with Cape Town chasing Abbott World Marathon Major status. Overnight winds wrecked the Green Point start precinct: fencing and gazebos down, start towers and the scaffold bridge uncertifiable, medical tents unusable. The call came at roughly 04:45, 90 minutes before the elite start, with about 24,000 runners ready to run. Rather than derail the bid, the disaster accelerated a change the organisers already wanted. The race CEO later said the October date had never delivered great marathon weather, not once. The next edition moved to late May 2026, got a calm 13 degree morning, produced the fastest marathon ever run on African soil, and sealed Major status.
Questions about the 2025 ballot
Why was the 2025 Cape Town Marathon cancelled?
Overnight gale-force winds, sustained at 48 km/h at the finish area with gusts of 60 km/h in Rondebosch, blew over fencing, gazebos, and race infrastructure. The structural engineer could not certify the start towers, scaffold bridge, and medical tents as safe, and the race was called off at around 04:45 on race morning, 90 minutes before the start.
Did 2025 Cape Town entrants get a refund or deferral?
Registered 2025 runners earned a Candidacy Club point, which contributes toward guaranteed priority entry to the 2027, 2028, or 2029 editions. South African runners need two points to qualify for the Candidacy Club; international runners need one finish from 2022 to 2024.
Was there a ballot for the 2025 Cape Town Marathon?
No. Entry for 2025 was first-come, first-served. Cape Town introduced its random-draw ballot with the 2026 edition, after the race moved to late May.
Did the cancellation hurt Cape Town's World Marathon Major bid?
No. The race had already passed stage one of its candidacy at the 2024 edition, and the final evaluation moved with the race to the new May date. The May 24, 2026 edition passed, and on June 10, 2026 Cape Town was confirmed as the eighth Abbott World Marathon Major.