Cape Town Marathon defending champion and record holder Stephen Mokoka and South Africa national marathon champion Jenet Mbhele are South Africa’s top contenders in the men’s and women’s field at the 2022 Cape Town Marathon on 16 October.

Mokoka boasts an impressive running CV. In addition to being the reigning South African 10km and half marathon record holder, he broke the 50km world record earlier this year. He won the Cape Town Marathon in 2018 — when he set a new event record of 2:08.31 — and in 2021, and is determined to clinch three victories.

Ethiopian winner Yihuniligne Adane (centre), second-placed Gebru Redahgne (left), and third-placed Kabede Wami (right) celebrate on the podium after the Marato de Barcelona marathon in Barcelona, Spain on 8 May 2022. (Photo: EPA-EFE / Quique García)

Ethiopian Gebru Redahgne, who finished the Cape Town Marathon in second place in 2021, will also return to the Mother City for the challenge.

Meanwhile, South African Sibusiso Nzima is poised to make a big comeback after a period plagued by injury. He has been working with a new coach since 2020 and is keen to see his training pay off in October. 

In the women’s field, Mbhele is also hungry for a win in her Cape Town Marathon debut, but faces serious competition from Stella Marais who is in top form after winning the Peninsula Marathon earlier this year.

Ethiopian Mereset Dinke will also pose a challenge, after setting her marathon PB of 2:25.12 at the Valencia Marathon in Spain in December 2021 and winning the Geneva Marathon in May this year.

Wheelchair race division debut

As the Cape Town Marathon enters its first evaluation year as an Abbott World Marathon Majors Candidate, the wheelchair division will make its debut in the marathon on 16 October.

Ernst van Dyk of South Africa at the Tokyo2020 Paralympic Games on 31 August 2021. (Photo: Team South Africa)

After an illustrious international career, Paralympian and 10-time Boston Marathon winner Ernst van Dyk will finally have the opportunity to race in front of a home crowd in Cape Town. 

Van Dyk, with fellow South African wheelchair racer Gerrit Hendricks, will be joined by an international contingent that includes fellow Paralympians Aaron Pike from the US and Rafa Botello from Spain.

Pike, who finished second in the 2022 Boston Marathon, will make his way to Cape Town fresh off the back of racing the TCS London Marathon and Chicago Marathon where he hopes to be in the hunt for a win.

In the women’s race, a small, but formidable field will set the scene for an epic battle. Mauritian Noemi Alphonse hopes to continue her stellar run, having recently come third in the Grandma’s Marathon in the US — and setting a new African record — in 1:35.14.

Alphonse will be joined by, among others, Commonwealth Games silver medallist Eden Rainbow-Cooper and Paralympian Shelly Woods from the UK.

Running legends to join race weekend

Comrades Marathon down run record holder David Gatebe will take to the trails on 15 October, when he joins a top Cape Town Trail Marathon field that includes defending champ Johardt van Heerden, Collin Kanyimo, Kane Reilly and Christiaan Greyling, with Nicolette Griffioen, Kerry-Ann Marshall and Landie Greyling who will be leading the charge in the women’s race.

Race weekend will also see the thrilling edition of the Vertical Challenge, with 30 elite trail athletes competing in a vertical kilometre race from St Cyprian’s School in Vredehoek to the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway via Platteklip Gorge.

Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that SA marathon darling Gerda Steyn will run the 10km Peace Run on Saturday.

A major journey

The 2022 Cape Town Marathon marks the event’s first year as an Abbott World Marathon Majors (AWMM) Candidate. 

The process of becoming an AWMM is a stringent, three-year process. 

The Cape Town Marathon is the first marathon in Africa to be confirmed as an AWMM candidate race. Hopes are to join the illustrious list of top marathons — in 2025 — which includes the London Marathon, New York Marathon, Boston Marathon, Chicago Marathon, Berlin Marathon and Tokyo Marathon.

To become a Major, the Cape Town Marathon will be required to meet certain criteria for three years and if successful, will join the elite group of races.

“Our theme for this year’s marathon is ‘African Champions Unite.’ We are privileged to have champions from across the continent competing,” said Sydney Mbhele, Sanlam’s chief executive for Brand.

“African runners have a history of taking top titles around the world — 26 of the last 29 men’s winners of the Boston Marathon have been Kenyan or Ethiopian. East African women have taken the title 21 times in the last 24 years. 

“It makes total sense that we create an Abbott World Marathon Majors event on our home soil. We want these world-class athletes to achieve their personal best with their home crowd watching.” DM