The Sanlam Cape Town Marathon Celebrates 50 Days to Race Day with Elite Athlete Announcements

Image: Sanlam

As the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon steps up its drive towards Abbott World Marathon Majors status, it celebrated 50 Days to the 2025 race day with the reiteration of the event’s goals, athlete-first ethos, and the announcement of 6 platinum and 8 gold status athletes who will be toeing the start line on Sunday, 19 October.

On Thursday, 28 August, the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon announced the headline stars for the fourteenth edition of Africa’s premier marathon. Alongside the focus on achieving Abbott World Marathon Majors status for the 2026 event, the race seeks to elevate running on the continent. As such, South African athletes specifically and African athletes more generally will take centre stage among the sold-out 24,000-strong field.

“With the help of our partners, the City of Cape Town, and the citizens of the Mother City, we achieved an unconditional pass for Stage 1 of our Abbott World Marathon Majors candidacy in 2024. In 2025, we are undertaking Stage 2 and to that end have secured the best elite marathon field in the race’s history,” Clark Gardner, CEO of the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon, stated. “Where London and New York vie to be the biggest marathons in the world, we believe the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon can be the best. Our beautiful route, the dedication of our sponsors and partners, and the enthusiasm of the city’s runners and residents are key to achieving this feat.”

“100 days from race day, we had already reached our 24,000 capacity for 2025, and we are confident that come the 19^th of October, we will have a new record number of finishers too,” Gardner continued. “Sanlam has been hosting Jozi Track Thursdays in Johannesburg to help runners prepare for the physical challenge of running a marathon, while adidas has introduced a limited-edition Cape Town Marathon version of their exceptional Adizero Boston 13 Shoe, and their 2025 race tee to keep the athlete excitement building.”

Beyond the amateur runners who are the beating heart of the event, the announcement of the elite athletes is always eagerly anticipated. With 50 days to race day, 6 platinum and 8 gold status elite athletes were unveiled at a press conference hosted by official vehicle partners, Mercedes-Benz’s flagship Century City showroom. All 14 hail from Africa, and each is capable of breaking the existing course records.

Ronald Korit, with a personal best of 2 hours, 4 minutes, and 22 seconds, is the fastest man on the start list, just ahead of his Kenyan countryman, Bethwel Chumba Kibet, who holds a 2 hours, 4 minutes, and 37 seconds PB. New South African marathon record holder Elroy Geland’s time of 2:05:36 is quick enough to worry the East African favourites, and is faster by a slender 4 seconds than the best effort, to date, of Ethiopia’s Boki Kebede Asefa. If they are able to get close to those times, the 2 hours, 8 minutes, and 16 seconds course record, set by Abdisa Tola in 2024, will be challenged.

Image: Adidas

The elite women’s field is headlined by the queen of South African ultra-running, Gerda Steyn. “I’m so excited and so honoured to announce that I will be lining up for the 2025 Sanlam Cape Town Marathon,” the 4-time Comrades Marathon winner and 6-time Two Oceans champion smiled. “I can’t wait for the 19^th of October! And most of all to share the beautiful route with thousands and thousands of my fellow runners. The Sanlam Cape Town Marathon has always been close to my heart, and the last time I ran this race was in 2021. I can still remember crossing the finish line that day. I felt so proud that we have such an amazing race here on South African soil.”

Steyn’s personal best over the marathon distance was set that day and was the course record until Glenrose Xaba bettered it last year. The presence of Kenya’s Winfridah Moseti (2:16:56), Angela Tanui (2:17:57), also of Kenya, and Ethiopian 2024 runner-up Mare Dibaba (2:19:59) should ensure a fast time and a competitive edition. Africa’s status as the home of distance running’s best athletes deserves a race which allows the continent’s best to excel on home soil.

Sanlam’s role in the marathon cannot be overstated, supporting the participants by elevating every touchpoint and backing the drive towards becoming one of the Abbott World Marathon Majors. The charitable aspect of the event is key for one of the continent’s biggest insurers. "What began as a sponsorship in 2014 has grown into a strategic partnership aimed at positioning the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon as Africa’s first and only World Marathon Major,” said Shadi Chauke, Group Executive for Corporate Affairs and Sustainability at Sanlam. “As a Pan-African organisation, we are deeply committed to unlocking the continent’s potential and creating meaningful impact that extends well beyond the finish line.”

“Through partnerships with the Caster Semenya Foundation, CANSA, and WWF South Africa, we are advancing youth sports development, health, and environmental sustainability,” Chauke added. “We invite every runner to turn their race into a force for good through GivenGain.” With 50 days to race day, 62 champions, fundraising for 18 charities, have already raised R198 000 via the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon’s official GivenGain portal.

"For adidas, our role as technical partner goes beyond supplying kit; it’s about supporting the culture of running in Africa,” Tom Brown, Senior Brand Director at adidas, noted. “Run For Africa is central to that vision, rewarding runners who start and finish the marathon in adidas shoes with a R2 000 adidas voucher, and building pride in this community. The Sanlam Cape Town Marathon shows what’s possible when innovation meets purpose, from the race tee to the limited-edition Cape Town Marathon Boston 13. Every touchpoint is about leaving a legacy for runners well beyond the finish line."