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Welcome to the Cape Town Marathon

17 Oct 2021|South Africa

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Cape Town Marathon 2021 with Africa Marathons - Official Travel Partner

Cape Town, voted the event capital of the world in 2018, is home to abundant fauna and flora, one of the natural wonders of the world (Table Mountain), rich cultural diversity, significant historic buildings and sites and of course the most wonderful people of Cape Town - the Capetonians!

It is also home to the Cape Town Marathon - the only IAAF GOLD label marathon on the African continent, and one of a select few climate neutral marathons in the world with zero waste to landfill. The marathon is designed, not only to take in Cape Town's spectacular natural beauty but also to enable runners to traverse the City’s rich historical sites.

October is mid-springtime in Cape Town - the city is coming alive again after a cold wet winter; the flowers start sprinkling the sidewalks; and it is just the perfect time to do a race - cool mornings, beautiful sunny days and many supporters along the route! It is some of the best weather in Cape Town for a long distance running event.

The inaugural Sanlam Cape Town Marathon was run by a small, competitive field in September 2007 and the event has grown steadily ever since, developing into a top city marathon that brings together world runners, from elite athletes to wheelchair racers, as well as first-time and social runners.

The Cape Town Marathon for 2020 has been cancelled but will take place on 17 October 2021 again and starts and finishes outside the iconic Cape Town Stadium. The race is a sightseeing tour of the natural beauty of Cape Town’s mountains and sea, as well as many of the city’s attractions and cultural areas. It unites all with a shared love of sport and fun showcasing the sights of the Mother City of Cape Town.

The 42.2km Cape Town Marathon starts at 06h40 and has a 6.5-hour cut-off time. Runners come together to enjoy a festival of running weekend that also includes a 10km PEACE RUN (Sunday), a 5KM PEACE RUN (Saturday) and two adventurous Trail Runs (Saturday - 12km & 22km).

Enter CT Marathon 2021

Cape Town Marathon Weekend Race Schedule for 2021

Saturday 16th October 2021

  • 22km PEACE Trail Run
  • 10km PEACE Trail Run
  • 5km PEACE Run

Sunday 17th October 2021

  • 42.2km Sanlam Cape Town Marathon - 06h40 [Cut-off time: 6.5 hours]
  • 10km PEACE Run - 07h30

Future race dates to diarise:

  • Sunday 17 October 2021
  • Sunday 16 October 2022

Cape Town Marathon Recent Achievements

  • The only IAAF GOLD label marathon on the African continent
  • Runners World South Africa - Event of the Year 2018
  • Sports Industry Awards, South Africa - Participation Event of the Year 2018
  • AIMS Green Award - 2017

Africa Marathons is an Official Travel Partner of the Cape Town Marathon and is proud to offer a fantastic package to take part is this epic city marathon.

Please click below for the full travel itinerary.

To join the Africa Marathons Team please email - [email protected] or ring +44 1932 361807 (UK) +1 844 390 1798 (USA) +44 (0)7791360170 (Rob).

  • The View into Cape Town City Centre
  • Unbelievable views at the Cape Town Marathon
  • Table Mountain as backdrop to the Cape Town Marathon
  • Crossing-the-Freedom-Bridge-at-the-Cape-Town-Marathon

Pre- or Post Marathon Bucket List Items

  • View the Big Five (Kruger Region)

  • Relax in Camps Bay (Cape Town)

  • Hike the Drakensberg (KwaZulu-Natal)

  • Explore the Anglo-Boer Battlefields (KwaZulu-Natal)

  • Experience a Safari (KwaZulu-Natal)

  • Go Whale Watching (Hermanus)

  • Visit the Winelands (Franschhoek, Stellenbosch & Paarl)

  • Shop the Waterfront (Cape Town)

  • Visit Robben Island (Cape Town)

  • Hike Table Mountain (Cape Town)

  • Explore Boulders Beach (Cape Town)

View Travel Itinerary
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Race Stories from the Cape Town Marathon

July 10, 2020
Mo Farah 2015 - Victory
July 10, 2020

Mo Farah confirmed to race Cape Town Marathon 10km Virtual Peace Run

Sanlam Cape Town Marathon Chairman, Francois Pienaar made this announcement yesterday 9 July 2020, “I am thrilled to confirm that […]
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June 23, 2020
Cancellation of Cape Town Marathon 2020
June 23, 2020

Sanlam Cape Town Marathon 2020 cancelled – Virtual Race going ahead as planned

Team Africa Marathons was very much looking forward to the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon 2020, but we fully support the […]
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May 26, 2020
Cape Town Marathon Virtual Race App
May 26, 2020

The Cape Town Marathon Virtual Race

“We’re living in uncertain times and everyone is trying to make sense of what the possible future could hold for […]
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Follow Us On Instagram

Massive congratulations to our Coach @justalilbester & his amazing wife @tarynbester16 on the birth of little Hailey Mae Bester this morning.🥳

The whole team are so happy for you guys!...

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Massive congratulations to our Coach @justalilbest Massive congratulations to our Coach @justalilbester & his amazing wife @tarynbester16 on the birth of little Hailey Mae Bester this morning.🥳 The whole team are so happy for you guys! 😊🥰 . #repost @justalilbester Welcome to the world Hailey Mae Bester 💕 . . Born on the 25th of November at 4am, weighing 3.4kgs 👶. . Blessed to have this most incredible gift and a moment where nothing else really seemed to matter 💕. If she’s anything like her mom, she is going to be one little legend 🥰. . #babybester #lilbester #mybester #daddysgirl #loveyou #didisayloveyoooou!

Congratulations to @bongmusamthembu for winning the 30km @sanistagger at the weekend!🥇🇿🇦

He’s a true @comradesmarathon legend and you can read a bit more about his achievements ...

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Congratulations to @bongmusamthembu for winning th Congratulations to @bongmusamthembu for winning the 30km @sanistagger at the weekend!🥇🇿🇦 He’s a true @comradesmarathon legend and you can read a bit more about his achievements below...🥳 #africamarathons #medalmonday #mondaymotivation #comradesmarathon . #repost @comradesmarathon #ComradesManMonday Bongmusa Mthembu KZN local Mthembu needs no introduction. This incredible athlete has won the Comrades Marathon three times and holds 13 Comrades medals. His fastest @comradesmarathon time is 05:26:34. He has also represented South Africa on the global stage. 🏅🏅🏅🙌🙌🙌 #KZN #ManMonday #ComradesLeadingMan @comradesmarathon @bongmusamthembu

We’re super excited to hear the news that @richmondrunfestmarathon will host the @teamgb Olympic Marathon Trials on Friday 26th March.🇬🇧🥳

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Not only is this race right on ...

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We’re super excited to hear the news that @richm We’re super excited to hear the news that @richmondrunfestmarathon will host the @teamgb Olympic Marathon Trials on Friday 26th March.🇬🇧🥳 . Not only is this race right on our doorstep here at our @africamarathons South-West London HQ 🏠, but the marathon on the Saturday we have pencilled in as a potential @comradesmarathon qualifier for our runners in 2021.👊🤗🇬🇧🇿🇦 . What a great way to get motivated for race day by seeing the ‘Best of the Brits’🇬🇧run for a place at @tokyo2020 🇯🇵 @olympics . Who are you looking forward to seeing in the start line?!🇬🇧 🏃‍♀️ @charlottepurdue @naomi.sarah.mitchell @stephtwell @lilypartridge @natasha.cockram @jess_piasecki_runscience @tishysplishy @steph_davis26 🏃🏻‍♂️ @thommo26.2 @j77nyy @bdconnor @dewigriff_2.09 @delh1989 #africamarathons #richmondrunfest #richmondrunningfestival #runchatuk #ukrunchat #instarunners #runnersofinstagram #comradesmarathon #runnersworlduk #tokyo2020 #olympics

We’re so lucky here at Africa Marathons to have our very own physio as part of the team. Do take a look at the @therunnerphysio for fantastic advice & tips.

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This week Gemma ...

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We’re so lucky here at Africa Marathons to have We’re so lucky here at Africa Marathons to have our very own physio as part of the team. Do take a look at the @therunnerphysio for fantastic advice & tips. . This week Gemma reminds us why it’s always good to take a break and look after yourself. 😊 #africamarathons #teamafricamarathons #ukrunchat #runchatuk #instarunners #runnersofinstagram #runnersworld #runnersworlduk . #repost @therunnerphysio Hi everyone, back from a little break here! 👋 Hope you are all doing ok. . Taking this time out gave me a chance to think about how important breaks can be from some things in life. And running is one of them. Running is probably one of the only sports where people don’t always take an “off season”, but should we? There’s a reason why many other sports people take a break once a year from intense training and competition - to give their bodies the much needed rest they require, which helps to reduce injury risk, improve performance and to help them come back mentally recharged too. And a break does not have to mean stopping altogether, it may be simply a reduction in the intensity and volume of training. . So why don’t runners always do this? I think habitually it’s not something we always do because we love to run and work towards goals, and there is access to races all year round. The problem with this though is your body may end up picking that break for you, which may not be timed well and it can be frustrating to have to stop running when it is not your choice. . So if you are struggling for motivation at the moment, if you are feeling overly tired or are experiencing niggles, it may actually be your body’s way of telling you that you will benefit from a short break, or from reducing your training a bit. . Do you plan longer term breaks or reductions in your training? If so do you feel you benefit from it? . . . #restandrecovery #recovery #takeabreak #runnershealth #trainsmarternotharder #runningtraining #rungoals

Good luck this weekend to @bongmusamthembu who’s running the challenging @sanistagger over in KZN, South Africa🇿🇦

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For those who don’t know Bongmusa he’s our current ...

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Good luck this weekend to @bongmusamthembu who’s Good luck this weekend to @bongmusamthembu who’s running the challenging @sanistagger over in KZN, South Africa🇿🇦 . For those who don’t know Bongmusa he’s our current @2oceansmarathon champion - 2019 🥳 AND he’s won @comradesmarathon 3 times in 2014, 2017 & 2018!!! 🥳 . We can’t wait to see him race when we head over to South Africa in 2021.🇬🇧✈️🇿🇦🏃‍♂️🏃‍♀️ #africamarathons #running #marathon #ultramarathon #runchatuk #instarunners #runnersofinstagram #runnersworld #ukrunchat #ukrunchatlondon #comradesmarathon #twooceansmarathon #sanistagger . #repost @bongmusamthembu Delighted to be tackling the @sanistagger marathon this coming weekend which has been part of my tradition for the past six years! 👌What are your plans for this weekend? . @arthur.ford.superior @nike @32gi @medshieldsa @virginactivesa . . . . #trailrunning #trailrun #marathon #sanistagger

Four Countries, Six Marathons

The founders and directors of Africa Marathons have over 35 years of combined experience in the Africa travel industry. We promote and offer packages to running events in 4 African countries at present.

Cape Town Marathon
South Africa

3 races

Cape Town Marathon
Zimbabwe

1 race

Cape Town Marathon
Tanzania

1 race

Cape Town Marathon
Sierra Leone

1 race

Get In Touch

Whether you are an experienced or novice runner, looking for a new challenge or simply thinking about visiting the continent for the first time, we would love to speak to you!

Our first aim is to get to know you, your running experience and aspirations, so we may best advise on which events would challenge you whilst giving you a high chance of success. So please get in touch. We look forward to speaking to you.

E: [email protected]
T: +44 7791 360170 (Rob)
T: +44 7809 726266 (Clyde)