All eyes will be on the foreign contingent at the annual Sanlam Cape Town Marathon on Sunday.
With the organisers aiming to secure a spot in the World Marathon Majors series, after their ambitions were derailed last year when the race was cancelled due to inclement weather, they have assembled the strongest field ever put together for a road running contest in South Africa.
The men’s race includes seven athletes who have run under 2:06:00 in their careers over the 42km distance, and as long as the weather plays its part, the course record (2:08:16) set by Ethiopian athlete Abdisa Tola in 2024 will be in danger.
While the line-up is headlined by former world record holder and two-time Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge, it is unclear how competitive the Kenyan will be on the day. The 41-year-old athlete officially retired from competitive athletics last year but turns out in Cape Town on the first stop of seven on a global tour which he is using to inspire people to lead healthier lives and promote road running.
Other men to watch up front include the likes of Israeli national record holder Maru Teferi, who earned the silver medal at the 2023 World Championships, as well as former Paris Marathon winners Benard Biwott of Kenya and Mulugeta Asefa Uma of Ethiopia.
The local field might struggle to keep up, with SA record holder Elroy Gelant having withdrawn due to injury, along with potential contenders Thabang Mosiako, Precious Mashele and Nadeel Wildschutt.
In their absence, the strongest competition from South African entrants could come from veteran Stephen Mokoka (a three-time winner of the Cape Town Marathon), former national champion Bennett Seloyi and experienced athlete Desmond Mokgobu.
Women’s race
And with the country’s top athletes not lining up, a strong international field is also expected to dominate the women’s race.
The elite women’s entry list includes eight women who have gone under 2:21:00, suggesting the course record of 2:22:22 held by SA record holder Glenrose Xaba could tumble.
The line-up features the likes of Kenyan-born Israeli athlete Lonah Salpeter, a World Championships bronze medallist, as well as Ethiopian athletes Ruti Aga, a former Tokyo Marathon winner, Mestawat Fikir, a former Paris Marathon champion, and Dera Dida who was second at the Berlin Marathon last year.
At the age of 47, experienced Kenyan athlete Edna Kiplagat (who won the world title in 2011 and 2013) will be eager to prove she can still keep pace with her younger opponents.
The elite fields will be chasing a total prize purse of more than R3.5 million, with the men’s and women’s winners each receiving $35 000 (R577 000).
The wheelchair race starts at 7.50am on Sunday, and the able-bodied elite race will start at 8am, followed by the mass field which will be separated into multiple waves.
Fast times are also on the cards in the 10km Peace Run to be held on Saturday, with the men’s line-up spearheaded by SA record holder Maxime Chaumeton and the women’s field headlined by defending champion Tayla Kavanagh.
