How do I enter the Cape Town Marathon?

Entry is through a lottery system for amateur runners. Tour operators and official charities also offer guaranteed entry slots. No qualifying time is required to enter. Registration windows for 2027 are yet to be confirmed, so check the official race website for updates.

Is the Cape Town Marathon a Boston qualifier?

Yes, the Cape Town Marathon is a Boston Athletic Association certified qualifier. If you run a time that meets your age-group standard, it counts toward Boston entry.

What is the course like?

The course is a loop through Cape Town city center and along the Atlantic seaboard, returning to the finish. It is essentially net flat, though it rolls throughout with around 850 feet of cumulative gain and loss. The highest point is well under 200 feet, so there are no major climbs.

What is the time limit?

The Cape Town Marathon has a time limit of 6 hours and 30 minutes.

How big is the field?

The field is capped at approximately 27,000 runners, making it one of the larger marathons on the continent.

What is the typical race-day weather in May?

May is autumn in Cape Town. Expect cool to mild conditions, with morning temperatures in the mid-50s Fahrenheit and highs reaching the upper 60s. Wind off the Atlantic can be a factor, so layers at the start and a flexible race-day kit are worth planning for.

Is Cape Town Marathon an Abbott World Marathon Major?

Yes, the Cape Town Marathon is a member of the Abbott World Marathon Major series, making it the only World Major held on the African continent.

Sun, May 23 · 2027Cape TownSince 2007

Cape Town Marathon

Cape Town's loop course runs flat and fast through the city, backed by Table Mountain and the Atlantic. It's an Abbott World Marathon Major that rewards honest pacing and punishes the ambitious early miles.

RollingWorld MajorLottery

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CAPE TOWN · ZA

Cape Town

SUN, MAY 23

2027

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Race Overview

EST. 2007

Cape Town is Africa's only Abbott World Marathon Major, and that alone tells you something. The course is a loop that runs through the city center, along the Atlantic seaboard, and back, with Table Mountain sitting above the whole thing. The elevation is modest throughout, so you're not grinding up anything brutal, but the course rolls enough that you can't just switch off. When you come around the waterfront stretch with the mountain right in front of you, that's the moment. It's genuinely hard to believe you're running in it.

This is a real PR course if the day cooperates. The net elevation is flat, the surface is road, and the field is big and well-organized. Autumn in Cape Town means cooler temperatures than you'd expect from a South African race, but the wind off the Atlantic can be a factor, so check the forecast and plan your gear accordingly. Entry is by lottery, and demand is growing fast since the World Major status arrived. If you miss the ballot, official charity and tour operator entries are your next move. Either way, it's worth planning well ahead.

Field size

~27k

27,000 finishers

BQ rate

—

Boston qualifier

Time limit

6:30

Standard cutoff

Entry

Lottery

Annual draw + charity

Course records

Men

2:04:55

Mohamed Esa

2026

Women

2:22:22

Glenrose Xaba

2024

The Course

853 ft total gain

Total ascent

↑853 ft

Total descent

↓853 ft

Net elevation

↑0 ft

Highest point

174 ft

Lowest point

69 ft

Course shape

Loop

Start and finish in one place

The Cape Town Marathon is a loop course with modest cumulative gain spread across the full distance. The highest point sits well under 200 feet, and the net elevation mirrors total gain, meaning no meaningful descent offsets the climbing. In practical terms this is a flat course. The small rolling undulations are unlikely to disrupt rhythm for most runners. Autumn conditions in May bring mild temperatures and low wind, which suits even pacing. The absence of a significant net downhill means a PR here is earned through fitness and pacing discipline, not gravity. Run the first half conservatively and trust your training in the back half.

DIFFICULTYHILLYPR-FRIENDLYNO

View official course map

Race-Day Weather

10-year median

Low

54°F

High

69°F

30°MARATHON-IDEAL 45–60°80°

What to expect

May puts Cape Town in early autumn, so you're looking at a cool morning and mild afternoon. The low-50s start is comfortable for warming up in the corral, and you'll run most of the race in the 60s. That's a decent window for a fast day, but Cape Town's wind can change things quickly. If it picks up off the Atlantic, the exposed stretches will cost you. Check the forecast the night before and have a plan for the back half if it's blowing.

Entry

LOTTERY · CHARITY

Cape Town is the eighth Abbott World Marathon Major, the first in Africa. General entry for the May 2027 race ran by ballot from June 10 to 24, 2026. No qualifying time is required to enter the ballot. Guaranteed entry is still available through the Candidacy Club qualifying-time route, official charities, and international tour operators.

Register on race site

Logistics

For runners travelling in

Closest airport

CPT

11 mi

from the start

≈ 17 min transferOn the doorstep

What to expect

Most travelling runners fly into CPT, about 11 miles from the start, right on the doorstep by rideshare or transit, roughly a 17-minute trip. Stay close to the start in Cape Town so you're not fighting race-morning closures and transit on tired legs. Arrive a day early to clear the expo and bib pickup, and build in buffer for gear-check and corral entry.