The 2026 Sanlam Cape Town Marathon (SCTM) scheduled for Sunday, 24 May 2026 will welcome a field glittering with Olympic pedigree, world champions, national record holders, and rising stars as the event continues its pursuit of Abbott World Marathon Majors status in the Mother City.
South African marathon record holder Elroy Gelant stands at the centre of the storm. The Boxer Athletics Club star arrives in Cape Town carrying the momentum of his breathtaking 2:05:36 run in Hamburg in April 2025, a performance that smashed Gert Thys’ 26-year-old national record.
Gelant’s journey reads like a comeback marathon run into a headwind before bursting into sunlight. After nearly walking away from the sport in 2022, the three-time Olympian clawed his way back to become South Africa’s fastest man over 42.2km. Before conquering the marathon, Gelant lit up the track with a blistering 13:04.88 over 5000m, still the second-fastest mark ever by a South African.
Adding further firepower is four-time Olympian Stephen Mokoka, the three-time Cape Town Marathon champion whose racing brain is as sharp as spikes on tartan. With a marathon best of 2:06:42 and a world-class half marathon time of 59:36, the Hollywood Athletics Club veteran returns to a course where he has already carved his name into South African road running folklore.
The men’s field could become even more electrifying with Kenyan legend Eliud Kipchoge takes his place on the start line. The double Olympic champion has confirmed he will be participating in his first marathon on African soil chasing another milestone in a career already decorated like a champion’s trophy cabinet.
Over the next two years Kipchoge is setting out to run a marathon on each of the seven continents to inspire people to lead healthier lives while uniting the world through running. The project starting with the SCTM raises funds for the Eliud Kipchoge Foundation, focused on preserving our environment and providing education in areas that need.
Kenyan, Stephen Kiprop (2:03:37), Israel’s Maru Teferi (2:04:44), and a host of 2:05 marathoners: Kenyans Bernard Biwott (2:05:25) and Justus Kangogo (2:05:57), as well as Ethiopians Yihunilign Adane (2:05:33), Mulugeta Asefa Uma (2:05:33) Ethiopia’s Boki Kebede Asefa (2:05:40) all arrive as serious contenders.
The women’s race promises equal drama and speed. Israel’s Lonah Salpeter leads the field on paper with a formidable 2:17:45. Ethiopia’s powerful trio of Ruti Aga, Dera Dida, and Mestawat Fikir bring proven big-city marathon credentials, while Bahrain’s Desi Jisa Mokonin and Ethiopia’s Waganesh Mekasha deepen an already fierce contest.
Further local flavour will be added by 2:09 marathoners Desmond Mokgobu and Nadeel Wildschutt (whose brother and multiple SA Record-holder, Adriaan, will be on pacing duties for the men’s elite field), while 2:10 marathoner Thabang Mosiako will be looking to join them with a sub-2:10. Meanwhile, former SA 10km Record-holder Precious Mashele will be making his marathon debut, and former South African trail international Kane Reilly will be running his first road marathon.
Kenyan great Edna Kiplagat adds gravitas to the field. At 47, the two-time world champion continues to glide through marathons with the poise of a metronome. Southern African hopes rest partly on Zimbabwe-born Fortunate Chidzivo and marathon debutant Emma Pallant-Brown, the former world duathlon champion from the UK and now residing in South Africa.
The wheelchair race also carries heavyweight star power with British icon David Weir and Swiss multiple major champion Manuela Schär leading the charge.
With its deepest elite field ever assembled, the 2026 Sanlam Cape Town Marathon is no longer just chasing global relevance. It is already running shoulder to shoulder with the world’s best.
