Road to Africa’s 1st Major Continues: Taking Stock for 2026

You know that feeling when you’re running the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon, the finish line in sight, the blue carpet calling your name, and then whoops, you’re sent out onto the promenade for the infamous Sea Point “loop of death”; pulled away from the finish for what, no matter how prepared you are, always feels like an unexpected and grueling ten kilometers? 

 That experience captures what 2025 felt like on our journey to becoming an Abbott World Marathon Majors event: within touching distance, and then suddenly further away. 

 Our 2025 event was intended to be the final step in our bid. Mother Nature, however, intervened. The cancellation of the 2025 Sanlam Cape Town Marathon meant that progress toward joining the Majors, clearly in view, had to be deferred once again. 

 This moment sits within a much longer and more demanding journey. The Sanlam Cape Town Marathon was announced as an Abbott World Marathon Majors Candidate Race in 2021, entering a multi-year evaluation period that formally began in 2022. Each year has involved detailed assessment against the Majors’ operational, organisational, and athlete-experience standards. After falling short of the required criteria in both 2022 and 2023, the event achieved an unconditional pass in 2024. 

 The 2025 cancellation did not negate that achievement. Much like the Sea Point “loop of death”, it required a brief moment of moving away from a finish line in sight, before turning back with renewed focus. The destination remains unchanged, and closer than many may realise. 

 It was a heartbreaking day for everyone who trained, travelled, volunteered, planned, and showed up. The running community then did something we will never forget. The disappointment was met with understanding, compassion, and grace. With lessons learned and revenge races loading, we head into 2026 with a clear goal, a sold-out event, and a record field of 27 000 marathon runners ready to take on the final hurdle together. 

That figure represents a deliberate and measured increase from 24 000 runners, aligned with a conservative growth strategy that puts the participant experience first. While capacity has been expanded thoughtfully, demand has grown at an even faster pace. The 2026 marathon ballot was significantly oversubscribed, underscoring the appetite for a truly world-class African marathon and reinforcing the belief that this event is ready for the global stage.

 Counting the wins 

When people hear the word “Major”, they often think of race day itself. The nerves on the start line. The emotion of the finish. The crowds lining the streets and the moments that make a marathon unforgettable. Earning Major status, however, is about far more than what happens on the day. It is measured against an extensive set of criteria, much of which is assessed long before the first runner crosses the start line. Planning, operations, safety, route management, athlete experience, and every behind-the-scenes detail all count. 

 The 2025 season highlighted how far the event has progressed, particularly in areas that have historically presented challenges. Transport to the start remains one of the greatest pressure points of any marathon weekend, especially given the scale at which the event now operates. Meaningful improvements were made in transport readiness, with more options than ever before to get runners to the start on time. Progress was also evident along the route itself, with no parked vehicles on the course on race morning. 

 The Saturday events provided further cause for celebration. The Peace Run welcomed its largest field to date, Tayla Kavanagh recorded the fastest 10 km time by a South African woman in 2025, and Deon-Lee Hendricks defended his title while setting a new personal best. The Trail Races delivered equally strong performances, with records broken once again and a first-ever sell-out across all three distances. In total, more than thirty-eight thousand runners were welcomed into the biggest and most impressive expo the event has hosted, creating an atmosphere that reflected the scale and ambition of the occasion. 

 The unconditional pass achieved in 2024 remains a defining milestone. It confirmed that even a copy-paste event would have earned Major status. These wins matter. They reinforce the progress made to date and underline that the goal remains firmly within reach. 

 2024 gave us proof. 2025 gave us perspective 

While 2024 marked a significant collective win, the events of 2025 offered a different kind of clarity. They reinforced the values that underpin the marathon, particularly the principle that safety and human life will always come first. That perspective strengthens, rather than diminishes, the integrity of the event and the journey we are on. 

 Confidence in the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon continues to extend well beyond South Africa’s borders. Even before achieving Major status, international participation has grown significantly, with the 2026 event set to welcome a markedly larger global field. Those international participants alone are expected to contribute an estimated R800 million in direct economic impact to the Western Cape, excluding the broader benefits of extended travel, tourism, and exploration across South Africa and the continent. 

 Importantly, this impact arrives outside the region’s traditional peak tourism season, delivering a meaningful boost at a time when it is most needed. It speaks not only to the stature of the event, but to Cape Town’s position as a global destination for sport, travel, and shared experience. 

This is a moment to take pride in how far we have come, and in the collective commitment that has carried us here. With perspective gained and belief reaffirmed, the road ahead is clear. 

 2026 is about finishing what we started 

2025 will not be glossed over. It happened. It hurt. The focus now is on what comes next. 2026 is about taking the progress that has been proven, the lessons that have been earned, and the standard that has been built, and delivering it when it matters most. 

 This is the final year of assessment.
The work continues.