Three of the four course records in the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon were shattered on a spectacular day of racing.
This event is already the premier marathon in Africa and about to complete the final phase of the candidacy process to become an Abbott World Marathon Majors event.
Here’s how the 2026 edition played out…
Elite men’s race – GOAT Kipchoge clocks a 2:13
The elite men’s race was won by Ethiopia’s Mohamed Esa in a scintillating 2:04:55, obliterating the course record of 2:08:16, set by another Ethiopian Abdisa Tola in 2024.
He was followed over the line by countryman Yihunilign Adane in 2:04:59, with Kenyan Kalipus Lomwai third in 2:05:06.
The man considered by many to be the greatest marathoner of all time, Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya, was 16th home in 2:13:29 in what was his first ever marathon in Africa and the first stop on his ‘World Tour’.
The men’s race saw the first 10 runners all finish under the previous course record.
Esa came into the race with the fastest season best time, having run 2:04:49 in the 2025 Chicago Marathon, and he made that form count as he surged in the final three kilometres to break up the leading pack of four.
He then kicked again in the final kilometre to cement the win. His 2:04:55 is the fastest marathon ever run on African soil, beating the 2:06:32 run by Hicham Laqouahi of Morocco in his own country in 2020, and the Ethiopian’s time also becomes the new South African All-comers Record.
Elite women’s race – Ethiopian dominance
In the women’s race, Ethiopian runners made it a clean-sweep of the podium positions, with Dera Dida Yami taking the win in 2:23:18, just under a minute outside the course record 2:22:22 set by SA’s Glenrose Xaba in the 2024 race.
Second over the line was Mestawut Fikir in 2:23:46, with Waganesh Amare third in 2:23:57.
Former women’s World Champion, Kenyan 46-year-old Edna Kiplagat, finished fifth in 2:25:44.
Wheelchair records shattered
David Weir of Great Britain dominated the men’s wheelchair race and took the win in 1:30:20, well inside the course record 1:32:09 set by Dutchman Gert Schipper in 2023.
The Brit was followed in by Dutchman Jetze Plat (1:33:12), while third position went to the 2024 winner in Cape Town, Sho Watanabe of Japan, who was given the nod for the final podium position in a photo finish with Chinese athlete Zhang Ying. Both were given the same finishing time.
The women’s wheelchair record now belongs to Switzerland’s Manuela Schär.
She absolutely dominated the race to win in 1:43:25, destroying the previous course record of 1:52:58, set by Brit Eden Rainbow-Cooper in 2023.
Second-placed Chen Xiaochun (China) also finished inside the previous record, crossing the line in 1:52:21, with another Chinese athlete, Deng Yirun, taking third in 1:57:05.
