Typical race-weekend conditions
Mild & mixed- High / Low
- 19° / 12°
- Humidity
- 80%
- Rainy days
- 27%
Averages from ~10 years of history around race day.
Know before you go
- Distance
- 42.2 km (26.2 miles)
- ✈️ From London
- ~13h24
- 🕐 Time
- +1h vs UK
- 💷 Money
- £1 ≈ R22.19
- 🗣 Language
- English, Afrikaans, Zulu
- 🌫 Air quality
- Poor
- 🏳️🌈 LGBTQ+
- Welcoming
- 🛡 Safety
- Caution
Country-level indices: LGBTQ+ via Equaldex · safety via Global Peace Index 2025 . Air quality is recent PM2.5; money is indicative.
The route
The Sanlam Cape Town Marathon is 42.2 km (26.2 miles). Two start areas funnel into one course: Fritz Sonnenberg Road beside DHL Stadium in Green Point, and Beach Road in Mouille Point. You finish on Vlei Road in Green Point Park with Table Mountain behind you. The loop runs the V&A Waterfront, City Bowl, Woodstock, Observatory, Rondebosch and UCT, then the Sea Point promenade along the Atlantic.
Start time
Sunday morning. Elite wheelchairs from about 06:10, elite field from about 06:15, then open waves from roughly 06:17 (Stadium) with alternating Beach Road waves shortly after. Your bib names batch, wave colour, and which start. Confirm times in the race guide — they can shift.
Course elevation
Mostly flat city roads with one sustained climb near the University of Cape Town around km 25. Published GPS files vary (roughly 90–310 m of climbing depending on the source); it is not a Berlin pancake and not a Boston hill course. Train for that mid-race climb, then a long flat Sea Point close. Wind on the promenade can rewrite the last 5 km.
Entry fee
Indicative entry is £170 per runner. Confirm the current bib price on the official site; ballot, charity, and tour prices can differ. International (non-African) ballot entry has recently been about R3,900 (roughly £170 on this page’s defaults) — confirm the current fee when you redeem a place. That is the bib only, not a hotel, flight, or charity pledge. Official tour-operator packages often list guaranteed entry around £290–£300 on top of lodging.
Registration
The 2027 general ballot (10–24 June 2026) is closed. Remaining paths are official International Tour Operator (ITO) packages and charity places, plus any deferred or Candidacy Club allocations the organiser still honours. Two-thirds of places are reserved for African participants. No Boston-style qualifier. Confirm live windows on capetownmarathon.com — Major status means demand is higher than older editions.
Where to stay
Green Point, Sea Point, and De Waterkant put you walkable to DHL Stadium, the expo, and the finish. V&A Waterfront hotels are the premium base with harbour views. City Bowl / Gardens are usually cheaper with a short Uber or MyCiTi hop to the start precinct. Sea Point also sits on the final promenade kilometres — good for spectators.
Getting there
Fly into Cape Town International (CPT). The airport is about 20–25 minutes by taxi or ride-hail to Green Point / the Waterfront when traffic cooperates; the MyCiTi Airport bus reaches the civic centre, then change for the Atlantic Seaboard. A private transfer is easier after a long-haul night flight with kit.
That weekend
Bib pickup is at the race expo in the stadium precinct — no race-day collection. Saturday hosts Peace Runs and trail events. Non-runners can do Table Mountain cableway (weather permitting), Robben Island, Boulders Beach, or a Cape Winelands day while you taper. Agree a Green Point Park meeting point before you start.
Who it's for
For UK runners who will take a long-haul flight for Africa’s first Abbott World Marathon Major — Table Mountain views, a Sea Point close, and a May autumn race that is cooler than a European summer. Suits people chasing the expanding Majors set (Six Star still needs the original six; Cape Town and Sydney feed the planned Nine Star path once Shanghai joins). Ideal if you want scenery and destination days more than a pure PB. Skip it if you wanted a short-haul Berlin weekend or cannot get a 2027 bib via tour or charity.
Sample 4-day trip
Arrive, explore, race, then head home. A proper weekend, not a rushed fly-by.
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Day 1: Arrive
Fly into Cape Town (CPT). British citizen passports are usually visa-free for tourism up to 90 days — check GOV.UK and leave two blank passport pages. From July 2026, complete the online SARS traveller declaration before you fly. A private transfer to Green Point beats figuring out MyCiTi with race kit after a night flight; ride-hail is the default otherwise.
Check into Green Point, Sea Point, or the V&A Waterfront . Keep the evening easy: four nights is the honest shape after the UK–Cape Town hop. Confirm which start (Stadium or Beach Road) your bib assigns.
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Day 2: Expo, Shakeout and Rest
Collect your bib at the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon expo in the DHL Stadium precinct. There is no race-day pickup, so allow proper time for queues and the merch hall. Pair it with an easy Sea Point promenade shakeout — flat, Atlantic air, keep it short.
Partners can peel off for Table Mountain or a harbour potter while you protect your legs. Early dinner near your hotel; May evenings cool quickly.
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Day 3: Race Day
Sunday starts early. Follow colour signage to your assigned start — Stadium (Fritz Sonnenberg Road) or Beach Road (Mouille Point). Arrive with throwaway layers; open waves go from about 06:17. The course hits the Waterfront and City Bowl early, then the UCT climb around km 25 before the Sea Point promenade home.
Finish on Vlei Road in Green Point Park. Cell service dies in crowds; agree a Green Point meeting point before you leave the hotel. Celebrate nearby and keep walking light.
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Day 4: Final Day
Recovery day. Brunch in Sea Point, a slow Waterfront potter, or a Cape Point / Winelands trip if legs allow and you extended the trip. Four nights gives you a buffer before the long flight home.
Back to CPT with generous margin, or a private transfer if stairs and kit feel like too much.
What drives the cost
The flight dominates a UK trip more than the international bib: long-haul to CPT, not a European hop. On the ground, the rand usually makes hotels and meals cheaper than New York or Tokyo if you stay in Green Point or the City Bowl rather than the flashiest Waterfront rooms. Four nights is the calculator’s shape so jet lag and an early Sunday gun have room. The total does not include a charity fundraising pledge or an ITO package premium. This is a DIY weekend cost — UK operators sell Cape Town Marathon packages with guaranteed bibs if you want logistics bundled, usually at a premium to flights plus a Green Point hotel yourself.
