Cape Town becomes Africa's first World Marathon Major

Africa will have its own marathon Major. On 10 June 2026, Abbott World Marathon Majors confirmed that the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon will join the series. Its first edition as a Major will be on 23 May 2027.

Cape Town becomes the eighth Major, alongside Tokyo, Boston, London, Sydney, Berlin, Chicago and New York. It is the first on African soil.

A record-breaking final test

The 2026 race on 24 May was the last stage of Cape Town's two-stage assessment, and it delivered. Ethiopia's Mohamed Esa won the men's race in 2:04:55, the fastest marathon ever run in Africa. His compatriot Dera Dida Yami won the women's race in 2:23:18.

Both wheelchair course records fell too. About 44,500 people took part across the weekend's races, including 27,000 marathon runners. Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge was among the field.

The 2025 race had been cancelled because of severe winds, which delayed the bid. Runners who finished the 2026 race will receive a provisional Majors "star".

What they said

"Africa's first Major has finally arrived," said Dawna Stone, chief executive of Abbott World Marathon Majors. Race director Clark Gardner said the achievement belonged to everyone who believed in the vision. Sanlam Group chief executive Paul Hanratty said he hoped it would inspire people across Africa to dream bigger.

Why it matters

African runners, especially from Kenya and Ethiopia, have dominated the world's biggest marathons for decades, but always far from home. Organisers say two-thirds of entries will be reserved for African participants, and they estimate that the race will add about R800 million to the local economy.

It caps a historic year for African marathon running, after Kenya's Sabastian Sawe ran the first sub-two-hour marathon in London.