Overview
- Eliud Kipchoge, a two-time Olympic champion, has landed in Cape Town and will race on Sunday in his first official marathon on African soil, opening his seven-continent “Eliud’s Running World” tour.
- Cape Town is leveraging his appearance to advance its case for Abbott World Marathon Majors status, a label that would place the race alongside New York, London and Berlin and mark a first for Africa.
- Race chief Clark Gardner said the event holds provisional Major standing under review, with multi‑year assessments that require passing 104 criteria before full recognition.
- Organisers expect about 27,000 marathoners and roughly 44,500 entrants across the weekend once the 10km, 5km and trail races are included, drawing large local and international crowds.
- After last year’s wind-driven cancellation, the race moved from October to May and added route contingencies and live weather tracking to improve safety and speed, with course-record bids likely on the 2:08:16 men’s and 2:22:22 women’s marks.