Overview
- Abbott World Marathon Majors, which confirmed the move on Wednesday, added Cape Town as the eighth race in its circuit and the first Major to be held on African soil.
- Organisers say the Cape Town Marathon will formally enter the Majors series at its next edition in May 2027 and have opened a general-entry ballot for that race.
- The 2026 race, staged on 24 May, raised the event’s competitive profile when Ethiopian Mohamed Esa won in a course record 2:04:55 and Eliud Kipchoge raced on African soil for the first time.
- Race officials point to concrete access commitments, reserving about two-thirds of entries for African participants, and they project roughly $49 million (around R800 million) in local spending from Major status.
- The inclusion closes a geographic gap in the Majors — previously held only in cities far from the continent — and could lower travel barriers for Africa’s elite runners while boosting Cape Town’s tourism and sports legacy.