Originally planned for 18–19 October, the 2025 Sanlam Cape Town Marathon didn’t go ahead on Sunday as bad weather forced organisers to cancel the race.
More than 24,000 runners were set to hit the road early Sunday, with many already at the start line when the race was abruptly cancelled at 5 AM due to strong overnight winds—leaving crowds shocked and disappointed.
The 2025 Sanlam Cape Town Marathon was cancelled “at short notice” early Sunday due to “severe winds overnight that carried on into the early hours,” organizers said in a statement.
Adding that the extreme conditions “wreaked havoc in the race venue in Green Point,” tearing off branding and damaging tents, which prompted emergency talks with the Joint Operations Committee (JOC) — a team including SAPS, medical services, and the City of Cape Town’s Disaster Risk Management.
“Around 24,000 runners were due to start the race at 6:15am,” with many already present when news broke via WhatsApp, radio, and social media by 5am.
The decision to cancel didn’t come lightly, with Sanlam Cape Town Marathon CEO Clark Gardner stating they were “devastated at the cancellation of our very special event.” After “months of planning for all scenarios and conditions,” he acknowledged that “a bigger force had the final say.” He added, “we are so sorry for the situation” and thanked “participants, sponsors and stakeholders” for standing by them.
Colonel Christo Engelbrecht, speaking for the JOC, confirmed the call to cancel was not taken lightly, but strong winds meant “the route is unsafe” and key parts of the venue were “compromised.” He noted “it’s unsafe for runners and pedestrians in that whole area,” and stressed that “it was a collective decision made by the whole team in the Joint Operations Committee.”
The 2026 edition is set to take place on Sunday, 24 May, and will also include the 2026 Abbott World Marathon Majors Marathon Tours & Travel Age Group World Championships.
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