Sanlam Cape Town Marathon Cancelled; Entries Offered

The 2025 Sanlam Cape Town Marathon was cancelled at 4:45 a.m. on Oct. 19, about 90 minutes before the scheduled 6:15 a.m. start, after severe overnight winds damaged marquees, fencing and scaffolding and left the start/finish and much of the route unsafe. Organisers and the City’s Joint Operations Committee — including disaster management, medical services and SAPS — jointly decided to call off the race to prioritise safety. The abrupt cancellation left roughly 24,000 entrants, including a strong elite field in the final Abbott World Marathon Majors assessment stage, stranded and disappointed as many were already en route or warming up. Race CEO Clark Gardner and city officials expressed regret while thousands of supporters still came out and some participants staged informal runs amid confusion and social-media reaction. Title sponsor Sanlam offered every 2025 entrant a sponsored entry for either May 2026 or 2027, and organisers said they will publish a detailed timeline of the early-morning decision and make race footage available via FloTrack for subscribers.