Athletes compete in the Cape Town Marathon on 15 September 2019. (Photo: EPA-EFE / Nic Bothma) 
The Cape Town Marathon was cancelled at short notice on Sunday morning due to “severe winds overnight that carried on into the early hours of the morning”, according to the organisers.
About 24,000 athletes who were expected to complete the race were alerted at 5am today (19 October) that the race, which was supposed to kick off at 6.15am in Green Point, had been cancelled.
The decision to cancel the race had been made at 4.45am, only an hour and 30 minutes before the start.
Many athletes, including elite runners such as Gerda Steyn, were either on their way to the venue or already at the start point and warming up when the announcement was made.
“The winds overnight wreaked havoc in the race venue in Green Point, with marquee tents damaged and branding being ripped off fences and scaffolding, prompting emergency meetings of the race organising team in conjunction with the Joint Operations Committee (JOC), which consists of representatives from the City of Cape Town’s Disaster Risk Management and Safety and Security portfolios, as well as medical services and the South African Police Services (SAPS),” the organisers’ statement read.
Clark Gardner, chief executive of the Cape Town Marathon, said: “The Sanlam Cape Town Marathon is devastated at the cancellation of our very special event.
“We have worked for months on planning for all scenarios and conditions, but ultimately a bigger force had the final say, and we are so sorry for the situation.
“We wish to thank our participants, sponsors and stakeholders for their ongoing support and understanding.”
Major Marathon ambition
The Cape Town Marathon was aiming to gain Abbott World Marathon Majors status, to be recognised as one of the most prestigious global races. There are currently only seven marathons in the elite club – Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, New York City and Sydney.
Their slogan this year was “Toward’s Africa’s 1st Major”. Earlier last week, the organisers said “the event is one step away from gaining Abbott World Marathon Majors status in 2026”.
How the cancellation of the 2025 edition of the marathon will affect these ambitions is unclear. Daily Maverick asked Cape Town Marathon media manager Renata Bossi for answers on that, and about the impact of the wind on the course. She replied: “We are sticking to our press release for all info and statements.”
Winds of about 50km/h were expected for the day, and even if wind had settled during the day, the route, race structures and village were deemed unsafe by the JOC.
“The route is unsafe, as the wind is constantly gusting in Woodstock, and the infrastructure at the start and finish venue has been compromised,” Colonel Christo Engelbrecht of the SAPS said. “It’s unsafe for runners and pedestrians in that whole area, and that’s why the race has had to be cancelled. It was a collective decision made by the whole team in the Joint Operations Committee.”
No refunds policy
Runners from around the world and the country who had flown to Cape Town were met with disappointment on Sunday morning.
Responding to a request for this year’s entries to be carried over to next year’s event, Cape Town Marathon organisers said that, because of their policy, would not be done.
“As per the entry conditions listed on the entry form and website, we regret that our no-refunds policy stands following the cancellation of the event this morning,” they said. “Unfortunately, 2025 entries will not be carried over to 2026.”
Conditions were windy on Saturday during the 10km race as well, with elite runners complaining about an initial headwind.
“All the runners must be disappointed, as are we all,” Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said. “But I’m grateful to the event organisers for taking a decision with runners’ safety in mind after heavy winds blew down some race infrastructure this morning. The City is committed to hosting events of the highest global standards, and that includes sometimes managing difficult calls like this one.” DM