After the absolute heartbreak of last year’s last-minute weather cancellation, the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon returned with a vengeance. Under near-perfect, misty, and wind-still skies, the 2026 edition didn’t just bounce back—it blasted its way into the history books.
We witnessed the fastest marathon ever run on the African continent, a masterclass in elite pacing, and the launch of a living legend’s global farewell tour.
If you weren’t on the streets of the Mother City screaming your lungs out, here is what you missed.
The Men’s Field: A Continental Record and a Masterclass
The headlines going into the weekend were dominated by one man: the greatest of all time, Eliud Kipchoge. Cape Town marked the very first stop of his highly publicized “World Tour”—a retirement victory lap aiming to complete seven marathons across seven continents.
But while the fans came out for Kipchoge, the elite front pack had other plans. Triggered by a blistering pace set by South Africa’s own 10k star Adriaan Wildschutt (acting as a pace runner), the lead group crossed the 10km mark at a flat 30:00. That relentless pace eventually cooked the pre-race favorites—including Kipchoge, who gracefully drifted back to finish 16th in 2:13:29.
Instead, it was a tactical war of attrition between four men in the final kilometers. At the 40km mark, Ethiopia’s Huseyidin Mohamed Esa made his move.
Esa crossed the line at the DHL Stadium lawns in an unbelievable 2:04:55, obliterating the previous course record by over three minutes and securing the fastest marathon time ever recorded on African soil. The conditions were so absurdly good that the entire top 10 men finished inside the old course record.
In a beautiful show of sportsmanship, Esa didn’t immediately run to celebrate; he stood at the finish line to wait for his idol, Kipchoge, welcoming him home with a massive embrace.
The Elite Leaderboard
| Division | Winner | Country | Time | Significance |
| Elite Men | Huseyidin Mohamed Esa | Ethiopia | 2:04:55 | African Continent All-Comers Record |
| Elite Women | Dera Dida | Ethiopia | 2:23:18 | Late 36km break to seal victory |
| Wheelchair Men | David Weir | Great Britain | 1:30:20 | Brand new course record |
| Wheelchair Women | Manuela Schär | Switzerland | 1:43:25 | Brand new course record |
An Ethiopian Double in the Women’s Race
The women’s race was a tense, tactical affair. A dense pack of six elite athletes hit the halfway mark together at 1:12:33, refusing to give each other an inch.
The deadlock finally broke at the 36km mark. Ethiopia’s Dera Dida—fresh off runner-up finishes in Paris and Berlin—decided she was done waiting. She dropped the hammer, surging away from the lead group.
No one could match her transition. Dida cruised across the line in 2:23:18, leading an all-Ethiopian podium sweep ahead of Mestawut Fikir and Waganesh Amare.
“Around 36km was when I was confident that this race was mine… It was very special for me because I won this race in my homeland in Africa.” — Dera Dida
Saturday’s Curtain Raiser: SA Stars Dominate the 10km
It wasn’t just Sunday’s main event that left spectators breathless. Saturday’s 10km Peace Run saw the local contingent completely rewrite the domestic record books.
South African 10km record-holder Maxime Chaumeton took the men’s crown in a blistering 27:41, averaging an eye-watering pace of 2:37 per kilometer. On the women’s side, Tayla Kavanagh secured a historic hat-trick, winning the event for the third consecutive year in a personal best of 31:25.
Next Stop: Abbott World Marathon Major Status?
Beyond the medals and the prize money, the stakes this weekend could not have been higher. This race served as Cape Town’s critical final assessment to be included in the prestigious Abbott World Marathon Majors.
Currently, the elite club includes Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, New York, and Sydney—leaving Africa as the only continent without a Major.
After 2025’s painful weather disruption, Cape Town needed a flawless event to prove it belongs on the world stage. With records tumbling, a world-class field, flawless organization, and thousands of fans transforming the streets into a wall of sound, the Mother City didn’t just pass the test—she aced it. Expect an official “Major” status announcement very soon.
