Your Spectator’s Guide for the 2024 Sanlam Cape Town Marathon

One of the biggest springtime events in the Mother City is the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon on the 20th October 2024, when over 21 000 runners from across the globe will gather to explore our diverse suburbs and landmarks on foot.

While athletes train for months to run a marathon, marathon watching takes little to no effort at all. Residents living close to the route can simply walk or cycle to their nearest point along the route and cheer on the athletes as they run by. 

We would love to transform the Sanlam Cape Town Route into the Mother City’s biggest block party from start to finish, but please be mindful of the road closures in place, and don’t drive to different points on the route and add to the strain on Cape Town’s traffic. Stay local and support locally! There is a spectator point for everyone, no matter where you live, work or visit along the route.

Here are our top picks to show your support on Race Day.

The Start / Fritz Sonnenberg Road, Green Point – The start has moved to Fritz Sonnenberg Road and heads out towards Granger Bay. While Granger Bay Boulevard will be closed to pedestrians, there will be an opportunity for locals to view all the start line action from the vicinity of Main Road and Buitengracht Street before runners take the N1/N2 outbound lane on the elevated freeway towards the N2. This area will be heavily controlled and some access points may be blocked. Please only use this option if you live nearby and can walk to this point.

6.5km: Off-ramp, N2 – The 2nd hydration point is located just before the offramp out of town. Runners will still be fresh, taking in the breathtaking vistas of Table Mountain and the surrounding city. The last runners should pass here around 9am.

14.2km: c/o Claremont Blvd & Mill, Claremont – If your Sunday morning routine involves hitting the Virgin Active in Claremont, add to your workout by cheering on runners as they come past the 4th hydration point, hosted by Virgin Active, between 7am and 10h30am. 

17.5km: Michael’s Restaurant & Rondebosch Park – Michael’s opens at 8am on Sunday – the perfect time to order a coffee and watch the marathon action from the sidewalk.

20km – 22km: Rondebosch Common – The loop around the Common can seem never-ending on Race Day, and runners will need all the encouragement they can get as they pass the half-way mark, elevated by our title sponsor, Sanlam.

27km – 29km: Albert Road / Newmarket Street, Salt River – This part of the route is straight and fast, but the mind games are starting to kick in and many marathoners start to question their life choices.  We call on all the locals to cheer on these runners as they come through between 8am and 11am.

29.9km:  Darling Street – The 600m stretch along Darling between Canterbury and Adderley Street takes runners past the Castle of Good Hope and the iconic City Hall, where Nelson Mandela delivered his first speech as a free man in 1990. This is bound to be a hive of activity with awesome photo opportunities as participants run past Madiba’s statue on the City Hall balcony. 

30.7km – 34km: Government Avenue onto Orange & Long Street – A welcomed addition to the 2024 marathon route, runners head through the beautiful Company Gardens where, hidden between the bushes, the big 5 awaits! Built initially as a refreshment station for the trade route that rounded the tip of Africa between Europe and the east, both participants and spectators can enjoy the cooling respite of the garden canopy. The Company Gardens are easily accessible on foot by surrounding residents, and offer ample opportunities to motivate your favourite runners before they tackle the climb up to Orange Street. 

Bustling Long Street will be the hub of all the action though. Home to the adidas cheer zone and where many of our running clubs and crews choose to activate, this point of the race is likely where many runners will hit the wall, and therefore the perfect place to encourage them as they tackle the last 10km to the finish. There are many coffee shops and restaurants along this stretch, and the majority of athletes pass here between 8am and 12pm. So sit back, order a drink, and get your cheer on.

34.2km: Green Point Main Road – With the KFM cheer zone situated at the 34.2km mark, runners can practically taste the finish before they are diverted back towards Sea Point for their final loop. From Giovanni’s to Jason’s and beyond – there are many brunch and lunch options available as you watch the runners do all the hard work. The road may be flat, but this flatness makes it unrelenting with no chance to rest those legs. Shout, cheer, encourage, give high fives… just don’t tell them the finish is around the corner!

36.5 – 41.5km: Beach Road / the Sea Point ‘Loop of Death’ – The last few kilometres are always the hardest, and at this point most runners JUST. WANT. TO. FINISH. As they tackle the final loop, aptly dubbed the ‘Loop of Death’, project some of your positive vibes and energy their way. They’ll pass the final hydration station at 39kms, before they run / walk / limp to the finish. They’re almost done, and will need you to boost their spirits for that final push home.

42km: The Finish / Vlei Road, Green Point – There will be public seating on the finish line, available on a first come, first served basis. This is a great place to watch the drama unfold in the elite races early in the morning, and also a fantastic vantage point to support the rest of the race. The final cut off is at 13h37 – be sure to help cheer the last few runners across the line!

Time It Well Early birds are also encouraged to watch the Elite Wheelchair Division in action, and see some of the world’s best go for gold. Elite Wheelchair Race Starts:  06h10 Elite Race Starts:  06h15 Open Field Starts At 2-Minute Intervals Between: 06h17 and 07h07