Mother City Provides Spectacular Backdrop for Cape Town Trail Marathon

Cape Town, South Africa – Around 1,500 trail runners enjoyed a spectacular day on the slopes of Table Mountain and its neighbouring peaks during the Cape Town Trail Marathon events on Saturday, 23 May. Amongst the three sets of winners in the 43km Marathon, 22km, and 11km trail runs were two athletes pulling off repeat wins, and four newcomers to the top step of the podium. The men’s Marathon also saw a new course record.

While the start and finish venue in Green Point was shrouded in mist for much of the morning, as was the whole City Bowl, the trail runners found themselves running above the clouds, in bright sunshine. The stunning views made the climbing worth the effort and gave athletes an unforgettable ‘runner’s high.’

The Cape Town Trail Marathon is part of the festival weekend of running at the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon. Saturday’s programme included the three trail runs as well as the 10km and 5km Peace Runs on the road, with the road marathon due to take place on Sunday, 24 May. The Trail Marathon course was designed by legendary South African trail runner Ryan Sandes and first run in 2021, originally covering 44km but then slightly shortened in 2024 to 43km.

SENGCE REPEATS AS VAN ZYL STEPS UP

Last year, a visibly emotional Philani Sengce couldn’t believe his changed fortunes when he was told he would be receiving R50,000 for winning the 2025 Cape Town 43km Trail Marathon, which he won with a with a course record 3:50:16. This year the South African went even faster as he retained his title with a new record of 3:48:03, but was a lot calmer as he accepted another R50,000 cheque at prize-giving. “I wanted to be stronger this year and keep my emotions inside, but it’s still a big thing for me, and means just as much this year. Sport can change your life, and I always pray to get more opportunities like this,” he says.

The early part of the men’s Trail Marathon was dominated by Kenyan Isaya Kiriago, with his countrymen Simon Ngumbau and Dennis Kiyaka mixing it with defending champion Sengce, a short distance behind the leader. Sengce later caught up with Kiriago, then took the lead, while the three Kenyans and SA’s Kyle Bucklow traded podium positions for the remainder of the race. In the end, Sengce took the win, followed by Ngumbau as runner-up in 3:55:24, with Bucklow third in 3:59:50.

Sengce says that he always knew the race would be fast, but was determined to run his own race. “When I saw the line-up, I knew that the race was going to be fast from the beginning, and that I would just need patience and the belief that I would be able to catch up. The leader was never too far away, only around one minute, and I caught him around 17 kilometres, then at 34 kilometres I started to break away and took the win.”

The women’s race saw Maryke van Zyl claim a deserved win, after finishing as runner-up in the 2025 edition of the Trail Marathon. She crossed the line in 5:04:58, comfortably ahead of Simone Malan (5:13:32), with a third South African, Ashleigh Graham (5:14:31), rounding out the podium positions. “I think we started quite conservatively and slowly, because it was quite wet and slippery on the mountain, and then about halfway through, I pulled away, and the gap just kept getting bigger. I’m really just so happy and fortunate and privileged to have won,” says Van Zyl.

“It was so beautiful up there, with a cloud of mist over the city – I haven’t seen it like that before, so it was quite something – and the organisation was next level. It’s the best organised event I’ve been to, with marshals at every corner, so you can’t get lost. Well done and thank you to Ryan Sandes and the team. It was brilliant,” added Van Zyl.

Cape Town Trail Marathon 43km Results

43km Men

1 Philani Sengce (South Africa)                       3:48:03

2 Simon Ngumbau (Kenya)                              3:55:24

3 Kyle Bucklow (South Africa)                          3:59:50

4 Isaya Kiriago (Kenya)                                     4:08:46

5 Dennis Kiyaka (Kenya)                                  4:11:04

43km Women

1 Maryke van Zyl (South Africa)                      5:04:58

2 Simone Malan (South Africa)                        5:13:32

3 Ashleigh Graham (South Africa)                  5:14:31

4 Jessie Waldman (Great Britain)                   5:24:18

5 Charé Calitz (South Africa)                           5:43:33

REMAKETSE STEPS UP, TARBOTON TAKE A THIRD

In the 2025 edition of the 22km race, Remaketse Lekaka set the pace nearly the whole way, with four-time winner Siboniso Soldaka content to let him lead, but with just one kilometre to go, the perennial winner once again proved strongest on the day and claimed a fifth consecutive win. This year, Lekaka lined up determined to finish on the top step of the podium, and duly took the win in 1:14:59, comfortably clear of second-placed Italian visitor Giovanni Bianco (1:43:08). Third over the line was SA’s Riaan Wildschut (1:43:28), who was winner of the 11km Trail Run last year, while Namibian Wano Katjiri finished fourth for the second year running.

“I said this year I’m going to really test myself, because I came here in good shape after training hard for the Ultra-trail Drakensberg 65km in April, where I got third position,” says Lekaka. “I took the lead from the first kilometre until the finish, and I’m very happy about the win after last year’s second position. The weather today was good and the race was fast – and I really enjoyed the down, down, down of the second half.”

The women’s 22km saw two-time winner Bianca Tarboton return to her old stomping ground to claim a third win. She won the race in 2018 and 2019, setting the course record of 1:45:30 in that second win. Racing successfully on the international trail running circuit for the past few years, she was excited to line up again at one of her favourite races and took the win in 1:48:26, ahead of fellow South Africans Ebeth Marais (1:56:35) and Louise Dippenaar (2:03:48).

“It was tough today, because it’s such a fast course, and I’m a little bit fatigued from my travels, but in general, I felt good. It was fun, and I’m really glad I came back to do it. It was beautiful up there, as the whole Cape Town was on the tablecloth,” says Tarboton. “It’s always really special when I get to race in Cape Town, because I don’t get to do that very often. I’ve wanted to come back to this one for ages, but just not had the opportunity, so I’m really, really happy it worked out this year.”

Cape Town 22km Trail Run Results

22km Men

1 Remaketse Lekaka (South Africa)               1:41:59

2 Giovanni Bianco (Italy)                                   1:43:08

3 Riaan Wildschut (South Africa)                    1:43:28

4 Wano Katjiri (Namibia)                                   1:48:05

5 Melikhaya Msizi (South Africa)                     1:50:51

22km Women

1 Bianca Tarboton (South Africa)                    1:48:26

2 Ebeth Marais (South Africa)                          1:56:35

3 Louise Dippenaar (South Africa)                  2:03:48

4 Megan Launder (South Africa)                     2:35:31

5 Stephanie Warren (Canada)                         2:37:21

NEW NAMES ON 11KM WINNERS’ LIST

Overall line honours in the 11km event went to Liam Matthews in 51:29, comfortably ahead of Siyabonga Chabalala (54:07), who had an equally sizable lead over third-placed Michael De Kwaadsteniet (57:11). “Today’s race was amazing, with great atmosphere and great people. It was an awesome day to run,” says Matthews. “I love a fast start, and after the leaders had stuck together for the first two kays, I picked up the pace and made a move.”

The women’s 11km win was claimed by Heidi De Jager in 1:01:27, with Mineé van den Berg following her over the line just 10 seconds adrift (1:01:37). Third home was Latvian Olga Antoniceva, who was fourth here last year. “It was quite a fast race, even though the terrain was wet and slippery at times. We had a good competition, and I only won by 10 seconds, but it was a good run,” says De Jager.

Cape Town 22km Trail Run Results

11km Men

1 Liam Matthews (South Africa)                       51:29

2 Siyabonga Chabalala (South Africa)           54:04

3 Michael De Kwaadsteniet (South Africa)    57:11

11km Women

1 Heidi De Jager (South Africa)                       1:01:27

2 Mineé van den Berg (South Africa)              1:01:37

3 Olga Antoniceva (Latvia)                               1:02:49

MORE ACTION TOMORROW

With Saturday’s Cape Town Trail Runs completed, as well as the 10km and 5km Peace Run road events, the running festival continues on Sunday, 24 May, with the flagship Sanlam Cape Town Marathon. Boasting 27,000 starters and the fastest field ever assembled for a marathon on African soil, many are predicting that the course records will fall, as well as the South African and African All-comers records. The race will be live-streamed on the event’s YouTube channel, @thecapetownmarathon, from 07:35 to 11:35, followed by a live stream of the finish line until cut-off at 15:50.

For more information, please send an email to media@capetownmarathon.com or visit www.capetownmarathon.com.