Arthur Jantjies’ journey from Hopetown to becoming the 2026 Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon powered by BYD champion is a story of altitude training, quiet belief and perfect execution.
For the 25-year-old from Hopetown in the Northern Cape, joining in long training runs with legendary seven time women’s champion Gerda Steyn (36) in Dullstroom helped shape a performance that would go on to stun the running fraternity.
Proud 2026 Totalsports Two Oceans 56km Marathon Champions Gerda steay and Arthur Jantjies Photo: Adnaan Mohamed
The relatively unknown runner arrived at the start line of the gruelling 56km ultra like a quiet ripple in a restless sea. By the time he reached the finish at the University of Cape Town Rugby Fields, he had surged into a wave that could no longer be ignored.
Even now, days after his breakthrough victory, the moment still flickers like something unreal.
“The new Two Oceans champion says he’s still struggling to believe what he’s achieved and has to look twice when he watches footage of himself in action,” Jantjies reflects.
“Every time I see a photo, I have to ask myself if it’s really me. I can’t describe it. It just feels like an out-of-body experience. And every time I think, ‘no man, that’s someone else I’m seeing on TV’. Then I come back and I realise it’s me.”
He produced a performance shaped by patience, sharpened by discipline and unleashed with the force of a runner who had spent weeks carving strength into his legs on the high roads of Dullstroom.
His winning time of 3:09:25 told only part of the story. The deeper truth lay in the mountains.
Arthur Jantjies by Tobias Ginsberg
Forged in Thin Air
Dullstroom sits high above the noise of everyday life, its altitude pressing against the lungs like an invisible weight. At 2,100 metres above sea level, every stride demands more, every breath becomes a negotiation. For Jantjies, it became the crucible of transformation.
Under the watchful eye of renowned coach John Hamlett, fondly known as “the colonel”, Jantjies spent eight weeks stripped down to the essentials of elite preparation. Train, recover, repeat. The rhythm was relentless.
“He prepared me well at the training camp in Dullstroom. It was tough and there were moments I felt overcooked, but the hard work paid off,” said Jantjies.
“We were there for the past eight weeks, away from family, away from everything there in the mountains. So, we train and sleep. That’s all we know.”
The terrain was a relentless teacher. Long climbs stretching endlessly into the horizon. Descents punishing tired legs. Each session layered endurance onto his frame like bricks building a fortress.
Those miles became muscle memory. When race day arrived in Cape Town, the hills felt familiar.
“We were in the mountains reaching 800 plus elevation, so we are used to the hills, we are used to climbing. This was nothing new.”
Lessons from a Legend
Among the runners sharing those Dullstroom roads was seven-time Two Oceans champion Gerda Steyn. Their paths crossed during long training runs, where pace met purpose and experience met ambition.
“We had a few long training runs together in Dullstroom which was very inspiring. It was a particularly special moment for me when she came to congratulate me at the finish,” said Jantjies.
Steyn, who claimed her seventh consecutive title, made her way straight to Jantjies after hearing of his victory.
“Yes, we shared a few long runs in Dullstroom and I got to know him quite well,” she said. “Arthur is such a hard-working, humble individual. He is a special human being. I believe the win couldn’t have gone to a nicer and more deserving person. He has all the talent and attributes to have a long successful career in distance running.”
Her praise carried the weight of legacy. It also confirmed what the mountains had already revealed.
The Race that Revealed Him
The 56km ultra unfolded like a chess match played at speed. The lead pack moved in unison early on, conserving energy along a route that tests both body and mind.
Jantjies stayed patient, almost invisible, shadowing 2024 champion Onnalena Khonkhobe deep into the race.
“The pace we were running was quite fast for me. The last quarter of the race also pushed me a bit,” he admitted.
For close to 50 kilometres, they ran stride for stride.
“I knew he had a strong finish and he’s faster than me.”
When Khonkhobe surged late, the familiar script threatened to play out. Jantjies had other plans.
“In terms of our preparation, it was the last eight kilometres, always pick up. So pick up is pick up. No questions asked. By that time I told myself, I’m going to try it now and I’m not going to stop.”
He closed the gap, then broke it open.
“I was probably too close to him and he gave up too early. When I went close to him, I was like, I’m not going to let you go.”
The final stretch became a runway. Jantjies accelerated with authority, crossing the line in 3:09:25 to seal a remarkable victory in only his second ultra marathon.
“It was my first 56km. So it was something different for me,” he said.
Behind him, Khonkhobe finished second in 3:10:00, with Blessing Waison third in 3:11:13.
Running Without Expectation
Victory had not been part of the original script.
“The goal wasn’t to win or to achieve a certain position. The plan was to run a certain time. I wanted to run under three hours and ten minutes,” he said. “Because at the end of the day, we knew that time was going to get me a place in the top ten and even in the top five. I really didn’t think I was going to win the race.”
That freedom allowed him to run without the weight of expectation.
“My coach says we must play small, fly under the radar and deliver on race day.”
It worked to perfection.
The Call Home
For all the noise at the finish, the most meaningful moment came in quiet reflection.
When the race was over, there was only one person he wanted to reach.
His mother.
“She cried a lot. She watched the race on TV, and she was in tears. She couldn’t get a word out. I just told her, ‘Come on, I’m going to do it again,’” he said with a laugh.
It was a moment stitched with emotion, stretching from Cape Town to Hopetown.
“It’s been phenomenal. Hopetown in the Northern Cape is now firmly on the map.”
Aurthur Jantjies with his Mom Photo: Supplied
From Unknown to Unforgettable
As he crossed the line, Jantjies made a striking gesture, crossing his hands over his face.
“The gesture was I’m unknown. I’m unknown to the ultras. I was not even a competitor or anything,” he said. “So I was just an unknown man, an unknown person coming through.”
Hours later, that anonymity had vanished.
“When I saw that finish line, I said to myself, ‘You’re the 2026 Two Oceans Marathon champion,’” he said. “And when I crossed it, a lot of people were running after me. It was so overwhelming.”
Trust, Growth and Perspective
Central to Jantjies’ rise is his relationship with coach John Hamlett.
“My relationship with my coach is, he’s the father figure. There’s huge respect, huge love, and whatever he says, I do. No questions asked.”
That trust took him from promising runner to champion in a single season.
His journey into distance running began only in 2017, after meeting a mentor who introduced him to the sport. Before that, he played rugby, soccer, cricket and volleyball.
Away from the roads, he finds balance in quieter pursuits.
When he is not training, he spends time painting, drawing and reading, giving shape to thoughts that run as freely as his stride.
A Future Taking Shape
Jantjies’ rise has been steady. Sixth and eighth in the Two Oceans Half Marathon in recent years. Sixth at the City2City 50km. Now, a defining victory.
“I have the talent. I haven’t had the structured training. Teach me what I need to know. Take me all the way.”
The answer came in the form of altitude, discipline and belief.
“My coach, he put me through the worst. So this was nothing for us.”
On a course famed for its beauty and brutality, Jantjies delivered a calculated run shaped by instinct and execution.
“The race was very beautiful, the sights we ran through, and the fellow competitors, we put on a good show,” he said. “The show was beautiful. I can’t complain.”
Arthur Jantjies arrived as an unknown.
He left as a champion shaped by altitude in the mountains, sharpened by discipline and confirmed by one of the greatest ( Gerda Steyn ) to ever run the race.
The ripple has become a current. And it is only gathering speed.
