There was an electric buzz in the air at Cape Town International Airport on Tuesday, 19 May, as the Mother City officially rolled out the red carpet for athletic royalty. Eliud Kipchoge—the double Olympic champion, the first man to smash the two-hour marathon barrier, and the undisputed GOAT (Greatest of All Time) of distance running—has arrived.
He is here for the 2026 Sanlam Cape Town Marathon this coming Sunday, 24 May, kicking off a glittering race week. For local lifestyle and sports enthusiasts alike, excitement has reached a fever pitch. But this isn’t just another celebrity appearance; it is a historic milestone for South Africa and the Western Cape.
A Historic First on African Soil
For years, local running enthusiasts have watched Kipchoge conquer the streets of London, Berlin, and Chicago on television screens. Now, we get to see him in high-definition, right in our own backyard. Incredible as it sounds, despite a legendary career rooted deeply in African excellence, Kipchoge has never actually run an official marathon on the African continent.
He chose Cape Town to kick off his global Eliud’s Running World tour—a majestic two-year journey across seven continents to promote healthy living and global unity. The fact that the greatest to ever do it chose the Mother City as his starting block speaks volumes about our city’s irresistible global appeal.
Pushing Cape Town into the Major Leagues
Why does this matter so much to us in the Western Cape? Because Cape Town is chasing history of its own. The Sanlam Cape Town Marathon is currently a candidate to become an Abbott World Marathon Major. If successful, it will join the prestigious, elite tier of New York, London, Tokyo, and Berlin, making it Africa’s very first Major.
Kipchoge’s presence is the ultimate stamp of global approval. He isn’t just here to run; he is actively backing our bid to bring the Majors to Africa. As race CEO Clark Gardner noted, Kipchoge’s career is the very pioneer of excellence that inspired the city to dream this big in the first place.
“We don’t have a Major marathon in Africa yet, but this is a growing continent, and it’s our time as Africans to have Cape Town as one of the World Majors.” — Eliud Kipchoge
A Vibrant Celebration of the Mother City
This coming weekend, the streets of Cape Town will transform into a roaring festival of human movement and culture. A staggering 44,500 participants will take part across the weekend, including the trail runs and peace runs on Saturday, culminating in the main event on Sunday.
Kipchoge will be lining up alongside 27,000 other marathon runners in one of the strongest fields ever assembled on the continent. Both the men’s and women’s course records are under threat. To rewrite history, the winning man will need to best the 2:08:15 mark set by Ethiopia’s Abdisa Tola in 2024. The elite women will be chasing down Glenrose Xaba’s breathtaking South African record of 2:22:22.
Whether you are running to beat a personal best, or standing on the Sea Point promenade soaking up the luxury lifestyle vibe with a coffee in hand, you are part of history. Cape Town, the world is watching—let’s show them how the Mother City celebrates.
