5/24/2026

The Cape Town Marathon

Cape Town, South Africa

Kristi Quesenberry Gunyula

Finish Time:  3:56:31

Overall Place:  5218th Place / 18471

Division Place:  365th Place / 2188

Race Recap By Kristi Quesenberry Gunyula:

Cape Town is currently waiting for its final evaluation to officially join the World Marathon Majors family. The atmosphere felt truly international, with huge numbers of foreign runners at the start line, elite athletes everywhere, Abbott gear all over the city, and constant conversation surrounding the idea of the “eighth major.” A total of 18,472 runners finished the race.
One thing that made the experience especially meaningful for me was getting to participate as part of the Age Group World Championships, which were held within the Cape Town Marathon itself. The organizers really went out of their way to make the championship athletes feel welcomed and valued, and that added something special to the entire weekend. Additional added bonus: Adidas was a main sponsor for the event and if you raced in adidas shoes, you were given a wristband after crossing the finish line for $120 shoe voucher on a future purchase. Amazing!

Difficulty-wise, I’d place the course somewhere in the moderate range. There are several long grinding sections, especially once the famous Cape Town wind starts blowing directly into your face. Side note: in Cape Town, locals seem to pay more attention to wind forecasts than temperature or rain. The weather there is incredibly unpredictable, which makes the possibility of race cancellation feel very real.
Overall, the organization was solid, though there’s still room for improvement in the area of water supply on the course. Several aid stations seemed overwhelmed at times. Security was taken seriously and there appeared to be no major incidents.

Cape Town itself is an incredibly beautiful place. Personally, I didn’t quite feel the same marathon atmosphere you experience at races like the Boston Marathon, New York City Marathon, Chicago Marathon or London Marathon, but that may naturally come with time as the event continues to grow on the world stage. At times, the city still felt somewhat separate from the marathon itself.
My personal thoughts: if you’re chasing the Majors or looking for a marathon that also offers a memorable travel experience, Cape Town is absolutely worth considering. The race itself may still be evolving, but the combination of running, scenery, culture, and the opportunity to experience Africa makes it a unique and meaningful event.