Trail Runners Revel in Sanlam Cape Town Marathon Crowds

1 200 trail runners started the three Cape Town Trail Marathon events on Saturday, 19 October 2024, joining nearly 7 000 road runners on the start and finish lines of the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon. The athlete numbers were swollen by friends and family members cheering their favourites on. All this combined to create a festival of running, which had the trail runners revelling in the electric atmosphere. A packed finish line welcomed Collin Kanyimo and Catherine Williamson home as this year’s champions. 

The premier, longest, distance race took place over a 44 kilometre course which featured 2 200 metres of climbing. “Ryan Sandes said this year’s route was easier than last, but I don’t know about that,” Rebecca Watney, who finished second behind Williamson, laughed. “It was very runnable though, which I think makes it very accessible to more trail runners.” 

Watney was among the faster starters in the women’s race, setting the early pace with Landie Greyling and Williamson. “I’m quite cautious on technical descents, so I let the others go on the descent into Kirstenbosch Gardens,” Williamson explained. “I really enjoy those forest trails there and I felt stronger, or maybe just didn’t feel weaker, in the second half of the course.” 

Utilising the runnable sections between Kirstenbosch, past the Kings Blockhouse, Kloof Nek, and toward the foot of the final climb, Williamson moved into the lead near the half-way point, passing Watney – who was feeling the effects of The Otter TERREX Trail in her legs. “I felt good until that last climb up Signal Hill, which always hurts,” Williamson continued. “The last technical descent was also a challenge, but by then I thought if anyone caught me so be it.” 

The 2013 Cape Epic winner had done more than enough on the preceding kilometres to establish a healthy buffer over Watney however and ran in to win by 8 minutes and 11 seconds. Behind Williamson and Watney, Kerry-Ann Marshall stormed through the final 10 kilometres to surge into third. She overhauled Olivia Dubern, who had to be content with fourth. Quinta Joubert completed the top five places. 

In the men’s race Kanyimo utilised a similar strategy to the women’s winner. “My problem is rocks,” the man from Zimbabwe smiled. “I’m not good at technical trail running. I opened a gap on the first 15 kilometres, but then the guys dropped me descending to Kirstenbosch because I had to walk down there. Then I caught the front group again and we ran together until Blockhouse [at the 25 kilometre mark]. That’s where I broke away.” 

Kanyimo ran powerfully through the final 20 kilometres to extend his lead to 8 minutes and 29 seconds over Perfect Dlamini. The Cape Town Trail Marathon was Dlamini’s first trail run since 2019 and he too benefited from the long runnable stretches of the new route. Kyle Bucklow completed the podium places, having also finished strong. Bucklow leapfrogged from fifth to third in the final 10 kilometres, passing Iain Peterkin and Philani Sengce in the process. 

In the shorter 22 kilometre trail race Siboniso Soldaka won his third consecutive title. The South African flier averaged an impressive 3:57 per kilometre and won by a commanding 3 minutes and 15  seconds over Jacques du Plessis. Mxolisi Ndlovu was third, a further 62 seconds back. 

Mila Geldenhuys’ victory was more dominant in the women’s 22 kilometre race. She placed tenth overall en route to the women’s crown, beating Nicola Vahrmeijer by 11 minutes and 32 seconds. “I love being part of the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon,” Geldenhuys stated. “It’s only in an event like this, where you finish alongside a road race, that you get to run with so many people. We had the trails to ourselves and then got cheered home by so many people here on the finish line.” 

“The Sanlam Cape Town Marathon is a true festival of running,” Watney confirmed, summarising the appreciative mood amongst the trail runners. The festival continues on Sunday, 20 October 2024, with the flagship road marathon event. Boasting 21 000 starters and the deepest elite field ever assembled for a marathon on African soil the eighteenth edition marks a significant step on the path to Abbott World Marathon Majors status. The Sanlam Cape Town Marathon will be broadcast live, on SuperSport – channel 209 – from 05:50. For more information visit www.capetownmarathon.com or follow @capetownmarathon on Instagram and like the Cape Town Marathon Facebook page.

Sanlam Cape Town Marathon | Cape Town Trail Marathon Results 

44km Men:

1. Collin Kanyimo (3:59:42)

2. Perfect Dlamini (4:08:11 | +8:29)

3. Kyle Bucklow (4:09:50 | +10:09)

4. Philani Sengce (4:10:33 | +10:52)

5. Solicitor Manduwa (4:12:29 | +12:48)

44km Women:

1. Catherine Williamson (4:38:27)             

2. Rebecca Watney (4:46:38 | +8:11)

3. Kerry-Ann Marshall (5:01:00 | +22:34)

4. Olivia Dubern (5:01:51 | +23:25)

5. Quinta Joubert (5:24:32 | +46:05)

22km Men:

1. Siboniso Soldaka (1:26:40)

2. Jacques du Plessis (1:29:55 | +3:15)

3. Mxolisi Ndlovu (1:30:57 | +4:17)

4. Lovemore Nyaude (1:31:58 | +5:18)

5. Zibele Bala (1:32:40 | +6:00)

22km Women:

1. Mila Geldenhuys (1:50:24)

2. Nicola Vahrmeijer (2:01:56 | +11:32)

3. Dunya Ansems Swart (2:08:28 | +18:05)

4. Sabrina Errington (2:09:19 | +18:56)

5. Alex Eales (2:14:01 | +23:37)

11km Men:

1. Marin Perard (50:08)

2. Anton Moldenhauer (51:46 | +1:39)

3. Matthew Metivier (52:13 | +2:06)

4. Liam Matthews (54:24 | +4:16)

5. Shaun van Zyl (55:55 | + 5:48)

11km Women:

1. Isabelle Shoshani (1:03:17)      

2. Ziska van Dyk (1:04:41 | +1:25)

3. Olga Antoniceva (1:06:55 | +3:39)

4. Erika Mohr-Holland (1:07:05 | +3:48)

5. Heather Gordon (1:07:12 | +3:55)

To view the full results from the 2024 Sanlam Cape Town Trail Marathon click here.