When the fish horn sounds in Cape Town in the early hours of Saturday, 11 April 2026, the pack will surge forward like a tide pulled by gravity and grit. But among the thousands chasing the horizon at the Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon (TTOM), three runners will be racing something far deeper than distance.
They will be running on memory.
They will be running on legacy.
And they will be running on love for a road that has shaped their lives stride by stubborn stride.
The Man Who Refuses to Stop
At 75, Louis Massyn (BNC 35) is adding brushstrokes to a masterpiece already framed in history. In 2026, the Outeniqua Harriers stalwart will toe the line for his 48th Ultra at the World’s Most Beautiful Marathon.
Forty-eight.
That is not participation. That is pilgrimage.
Massyn holds the record for the most Ultra finishes in the event’s history. It’s a statistic that stands like a summit along Chapman’s Peak. His journey mirrors the climb itself: relentless, exposed, breathtaking.
“Every year the body asks tougher questions,” he says. “But the heart always knows the answer.”
It is a runner’s truth. Muscles fray, joints protest, dawn alarms grow louder. Yet something deeper, something elemental, keeps pulling him back to the start.
With 50 medals from the Comrades Marathon, Massyn has long transcended the arithmetic of achievement. He runs now not against competitors, but against time itself, and he keeps winning simply by showing up.
Parallel Paths of Power
Stride for stride with Massyn’s longevity are two pioneers who helped redraw the map for women in ultra-distance running.
Sharon Bosch (BNC 1953) and Lucille Damon (BNC 1525) jointly hold the record for the most female Ultra finishes at Two Oceans with 32 apiece. In 2026, both target No. 33.
Their rivalry has never been about beating each other to the line. It has been about returning to it.
Damon, now 66 and representing Totalsports VOB Running Club, describes the race as “a moving meditation.” Some years you float like a tailwind has claimed you. Other years you grind through the gears, legs heavy as wet sand. But each finish line feels earned, carved out of doubt and discipline.”
Bosch, 63 and chairperson of Old Selbornian Road Runners, sees the Ultra as something even more intimate.
“Two Oceans strips you down to who you really are,” she says.
“It’s never been about numbers, but standing on the start line still feels like a privilege.”
That stripping away is the quiet brutality of 56 kilometres. There is nowhere to hide on Constantia Nek. No shortcuts through fatigue. Only truth, revealed one heartbeat at a time.
The Courage to Return
In an era obsessed with split times and podium photos, Massyn, Bosch and Damon represent a different currency: consistency.
Their greatness is not measured in minutes. It is measured in mornings.
In the discipline of lacing up when motivation sleeps.
In the humility of starting again when applause has faded.
Together, they are living course markers and reminders that endurance is not explosive, but cumulative. That resilience is not loud, but layered.
Chris Goldschmidt, Chairperson of the Two Oceans Marathon NPC, calls them the heart of the event.
“Louis, Sharon, and Lucille represent the heart of TTOM – runners who inspire everyone around them. Their dedication reminds us that this race is about resilience, passion, and the joy of returning year after year,” says Chris Goldschmidt, Chairperson of the Two Oceans Marathon NPC.
Wade Bromfield, General Manager, points to their commitment as proof that the race is bigger than records.
“Watching these incredible athletes line up, year after year, shows that greatness isn’t just about times or records. It’s about commitment, community and the spirit of the Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon itself.”
They are right.
Because while thousands will run the Ultra in 2026, only a handful embody its spirit so completely. These three have turned participation into permanence. They have made the road their autobiography.
A Race That Gives Back
The 2026 edition promises more than just breathtaking scenery.
Runners across the Ultra, Half and Trail events will receive exclusive event-specific T-shirts and limited-edition TTOM-branded Versus Quarter Running Socks. Blue Number Club members can look forward to enhanced rewards and benefits designed to honour their loyalty.
With Cipla as Official Recovery Partner, race weekend will also see expanded professional recovery zones — from the Expo’s Prep Zone to on-route recovery in Hout Bay and dedicated finish-line support areas. It is a modern performance ecosystem built around care, restoration and longevity — fitting for an event that celebrates careers measured in decades.
More Than Miles
From 10–12 April 2026, the trails, roads and coastal climbs of Cape Town will once again host thousands of stories in motion.
But when Massyn leans into another Chapman’s Peak ascent…
When Damon finds rhythm beyond the burn…
When Bosch steadies herself at the start line once more…
They will not just be running a race.
They will be running proof that greatness is a lifelong Ultra.
And in their footsteps, the next generation will learn that the bravest act in sport is not finishing first.
It is returning.
www.twooceansmarathon.org.za
