2026 edition
13°
Cloudy, calm
High19°
Low14°
13°C at the start, no wind · 2:04:55 course record, the fastest marathon ever run on African soil
8th Major · Confirmed Jun 10, 2026 · Africa's firstOfficial news ↗
Cape Town Marathon
Africa's first Major. A loop under Table Mountain that produced the fastest marathon ever run on African soil.
Cape Town is the eighth Abbott World Marathon Major and the first in Africa, confirmed on June 10, 2026 after passing its final candidacy evaluation. The 2026 edition delivered the fastest marathon ever run on African soil, 2:04:55, with the top ten all inside the old course record. The 2027 ballot runs June 10 to 24, 2026, results on June 26, and two thirds of entries stay reserved for African runners.
Ballot opens
Jun 10, 2026
Window opens · free to enter
Passed
Ballot closes
Jun 24, 2026
Last day to submit
Passed
Draw / results
Jun 26, 2026
Winners notified
Passed
Race day
May 23, 2027
May 23, 2027
Next up
CLOSED JUN 24, 2026 · NEXT YEAR'S WINDOW TBD
Official updates
Climate
Past three years on race day
Historical conditions on the course, what to expect, what to pack.
2025 edition
Cancelled
Gale-force winds, race cancelled
High25°
Low15°
60 km/h gusts wrecked the start infrastructure · called off 90 minutes before the gun · the last October edition
2024 edition
20°Day hi
Windy, gusty
High20°
Low13°
Gusty on course, headwind in the closing kilometres · Glenrose Xaba still broke the South African record
Related·
In the news
Dispatches on the Cape Town Marathon ballot, results, and race updates, most recent first.
Sep 16
Cape Town Marathon Deferral: 2027 Policy and 2028 Window
Sep 05
When Is the Next Major Marathon?
Aug 15
How Many Runners Are in Each Marathon Major?
Aug 09
Ballot, Lottery, Drawing: What Each Major Calls It
Course·
City loop, Green Point through the City Bowl and southern suburbs
DHL Stadium, Green Point → Vlei Road, Green Point
Cool, 13–20°C
Elevation
Course profile
No official elevation figure is published. Third-party measurements put total gain between roughly 205m and 380m, and they agree on the shape: a flat opening 8 km, a rolling middle through the southern suburbs, one sustained climb through the UCT corridor around km 24 to 27, then a flat final 10 km along the Sea Point promenade.
PAST RESULTS
Ballot history
Sanlam Cape Town Marathon has not published application counts yet. Browse the 2027 ballot results for dates, race-day data, and what we know about each edition.
CHARITY PLACES
Charity places
The non-ballot route in. Sanlam Cape Town Marathon has 23 official charity partners, with fundraising minimums starting at $2,000 (Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, Cancer) and rising to $5,000+ for the highest-demand partners. Applications open Jun, right after ballot results.
Partners
23
7 cause areas
Min from
$2,000
up to $5,000
Apps open
Jun
after ballot
Apps close
May
most earlier
MC
Browse all charity partners
Macmillan Cancer Support
Cancer
£1,500min raise
Applications open
GK
Get Kids Going
Children
£1,500min raise
Applications open
AR
Alzheimer's Research UK
Health
£1,800min raise
Status unknown
SR
Spinal Research
Health
£1,900min raise
Applications open
MM
Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation
Cancer
$2,000min raise
Status unknown
GF
Grootbos Foundation
Environment
$2,000min raise
Status unknown
FAQ
Common questions
When is the 2027 Cape Town Marathon?
Cape Town Marathon 2027: Sunday, May 23, 2027.
When can I apply for Cape Town Marathon 2027?
Applications open: Wednesday, June 10, 2026. Applications close: Wednesday, June 24, 2026.
When are the 2027 entry results?
Results date: Friday, June 26, 2026. Check the organizer for your individual outcome.
What does Cape Town Marathon 2027 cost?
Entry fee: R5 to apply, race fee charged on success. Charity minimum: Not yet published, charity entries open Jun 26, 2026.
Is Cape Town a World Marathon Major?
Yes. On June 10, 2026 AbbottWMM confirmed the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon as the eighth Abbott World Marathon Major, joining formally at the May 23, 2027 edition. Finishers of the 2026 race received provisional stars that were upgraded retroactively.
Why did the race move from October to May?
For the weather. The race CEO said the October date never delivered great marathon conditions, and the 2025 edition was cancelled on race morning after gale-force winds damaged the start infrastructure. The first May edition in 2026 got a calm, cool 13°C morning and the course record fell by more than three minutes.