There was surprise and, in some quarters, great displeasure after the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon was called off on Sunday morning with organisers saying both the venue and route were deemed unsafe for runners and spectators.
High winds lashed Cape Town overnight, leading to structures at the start and finish lines being blown over, which prompted organisers to cancel the event by sending bulk WhatsApp messages to the 24,000 competitors shortly before 5am on Sunday. The race was due to start at 6am.
The cancellation is a blow to organisers who were hoping the event would become an elite Abbott World Marathon Majors race.
The 2025 event was due to be the final step towards joining the prestigious World Marathon Majors alongside iconic races in London, New York, Boston, Chicago, Berlin, Sydney and Tokyo.
The organisers initially said the event’s no-refund policy would kick in before sponsor Sanlam stepped in later on Sunday to offer every 2025 marathon entrant a sponsored entry for either May 2026 or 2027.
Cape Town has a history of unsettled weather conditions in road races, and so when runners woke up to the news that they should not arrive at the start of the race, there was understandably surprise, incredulous disbelief, disappointment and even anger.
Malixole Kalideni, Border’s most successful marathoner in recent times and especially on the new Cape Town course, was shocked by the decision.
“The wind was blowing strongly this morning and last night, but I did not expect a cancellation at all.
“When I got the message on my phone, I thought it was a joke.”
Sharon Eldridge, the chair of Kalideni’s club Old Selbornians, said: “I have not read all the posts yet, but was it that bad that cancellation was required? It is tragic.
“I found it hard to believe. Could a contingency plan not have been put in place to bring in medical support, due to that tent having been blown down?
“This is an event going for Abbott status and runners have lost thousands.”
Robert Button, from the same club, was about to run his eighth Cape Town, to add to his 29 Two Oceans and 28 Comrades.
“It sucks, but I am a person who decides can I change what has happened or not, and if not, then I must simply get on with it,” he said.
He and others obviously did not find the weather threatening and went out for a 23km run.
He bounced back with the suggestion: “Why did they not simply allow everyone to use Strava as they ran on their own and reward them accordingly?”
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Border Road Running Commission chair Papic Malusi said it was a premature decision.
“There are surely other reasons than just the weather.”
He could be onto something, as there were replacement runs of various distances organised in different parts of the city that were ongoing through to midday and beyond.
Border Cross Country chair Vuyo Stoto had entered the Cape Town Marathon, trained since July and like most, was extremely disappointed.
After initially going back to bed, Stoto was again in Green Point and the start area.
“There is no longer any wind blowing,” she said when contacted.
“They could surely have simply postponed the start by a few hours.
“Airfares, accommodation and other expenses all for no reward.”
In 2024, the race cleared Stage 1 of a multiyear Abbott assessment, which evaluates everything from race-day operations and the experience for participants to the calibre of the elite field of runners, who earn points based on their performances and compete for overall series titles.
The 2025 race was the final stage of the assessment.
Joining the series is projected by authorities to bring more than 20,000 international visitors each year, providing a significant boost to the local economy.
Daily Dispatch
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