The Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon powered by BYD has laced up for a bigger stride in 2027, unveiling an expanded Event Week and a dramatic increase in race capacity that will allow thousands more runners to chase the famous blue horizon beneath Cape Town’s mountains.
From 31 March to 4 April 2027, the race festival will unfold like a carefully paced marathon. The Totalsports Two Oceans Half Marathon moves to Saturday, 3 April, before the Totalsports Two Oceans Ultra Marathon takes centre stage on Sunday, 4 April as the grand finale.
Organisers have increased the Half Marathon field from 17,000 to 21,000 runners, while the Ultra swells from 14,000 to 21,000.
“We are excited to unveil a revitalised Event Week format for 2027 that will transform the Totalsports TWO OCEANS MARATHON powered by BYD into an even bigger celebration of running, community and camaraderie,” said chairperson Chris Goldschmidt.
Goldschmidt said the new schedule gives each event its own moment to shine while preserving the spirit and traditions that earned the race its “World’s Most Beautiful Marathon” reputation.
The revamped programme includes an 8km Night Run on Wednesday, a 4.5km International Friendship Run on Thursday, a Trail Run on Friday, the Half Marathon on Saturday and the Ultra on Sunday. The University of Cape Town campus will continue as race headquarters in 2027 and 2028.
Event director Wade Bromfield described the expansion as a major milestone.
“The 2027 Totalsports TWO OCEANS MARATHON powered by BYD represents a major milestone for the event, with increased capacity allowing even more runners to be part of this iconic experience,” Bromfield said.
He confirmed that the Ultra Marathon’s return to Sunday preserves its status as the dramatic curtain call of the weekend.
For runners who have spent years refreshing entry pages like anxious sprinters waiting for a starter’s gun, the increased capacity is a welcome tailwind. The expansion opens the door for 7,000 additional ultra runners and 4,000 more half-marathon entrants.
Entries for the Night Run, Friendship Run and Trail Run open on 3 August 2026. Blue Number Club members receive an early-entry window for the Half and Ultra from 15 to 22 July 2026, with the public ballot opening on 5 August 2026.
Beyond the numbers, the changes reflect the growing global appetite for South Africa’s flagship road race. The Two Oceans has become more than a marathon; it is a moving carnival where lungs burn, legs bargain for mercy and strangers become teammates somewhere between Chapman’s Peak and the finish line.
In 2027, that carnival promises to be louder, larger and more inclusive. The mountain waits, the ocean whispers, and another 42,000 runners will soon have the chance to answer the call.
