The official race may have been cancelled, but thousands of South Africans are still hitting the streets, proving that our national slogan might as well be: “We’ll make a plan.”
Western Cape, South Africa (19 October 2025) – When life throws South Africans a curveball, we lace up our takkies and make a plan.
This morning, over 24,000 runners woke up to the unexpected news that the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon had been cancelled due to safety concerns.
The official message from organisers read: “Attention: Due to safety reasons, the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon has been cancelled. Please DO NOT report to the start. The event will NOT go ahead. Further updates will be communicated.”
Understandably, social media was flooded with disappointment, frustration and confusion. Months of training, early mornings and carb-loading seemed to vanish with one announcement. But if there’s one thing South Africans are known for, it’s resilience, humour and a knack for turning chaos into community.
Within minutes, runners started creating their own routes. Groups began forming online to coordinate alternative runs, some heading up Chapman’s Peak, others looping around the Cape Town CBD and a few even plotting an ambitious route to Llandudno.
One of the most inspiring examples came from Jaryd Browne, a Cape Town Marathon Captain and “Peak Team” runner, who decided that the day was too important to waste. He launched what’s now affectionately being called “The Peak Marathon”… a spontaneous route from Rock Pool to Suikerbossie and back, starting at 6:30am.
Speaking to Good Things Guy, Jaryd explained what led to the decision: “The start and finish area was blown over overnight, so from a safety aspect, the actual marathon cannot go ahead. The runners have trained really hard, they have put in a lot of work to get here, we can’t just leave it.”
Instead of giving up, Jaryd and his team are coordinating water and nutrition points along the makeshift course, proving once again that when South Africans are faced with disappointment, they don’t sit it out, they stand up and make a plan.
“Tough times never last, only tough people. We are showing up. We are going to make it happen. And we’ll make a jol of it.”
Today has been a rollercoaster for thousands of runners who spent months preparing for this moment, only to wake up to the devastating news that the marathon was cancelled. It’s a tough blow, especially for those who travelled, trained and dreamt of crossing that finish line. But if there’s anything truly special about this country, it’s how we rally. Within hours, strangers are becoming teammates and disappointment is being transformed into determination.
Keep a lookout as across the city, runners are banding together, creating their own routes, sharing water and cheering one another on… proving that the spirit of the marathon lives far beyond the official start line.
9am update: Official Press Release: 2025 Sanlam Cape Town Marathon Cancelled Due to Adverse Wind Conditions
Due to severe winds overnight that carried on into the early hours of the morning, the 2025 edition of the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon unfortunately had to be cancelled at short notice this morning.
The decision to cancel was made at 4:45am, and communications to all runners went out at 5am in the form of direct WhatsApp messages to all participants and a dedicated running club captains’ group, as well as statements on social media platforms and statements sent to local radio stations, event media partners and key stakeholders. Around 24,000 runners were due to start the race at 6:15am, and many were already at the venue or on their way into the city when the cancellation was announced.
The winds overnight wreaked havoc in the race venue in Green Point, with marquee tents damaged and branding being ripped off fences and scaffolding, prompting emergency meetings of the race organising team in conjunction with the Joint Operations Committee (JOC), which consists of representatives from the City of Cape Town’s Disaster Risk Management and Safety and Security portfolios, as well as medical services and the South African Police Services (SAPS).
Cancelling such a huge event is not an easy decision to make, and Clark Gardner, Chief Executive Officer of the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon, says “The Sanlam Cape Town Marathon is devastated at the cancellation of our very special event. We have worked for months on planning for all scenarios and conditions, but ultimately a bigger force had the final say, and we are so sorry for the situation. We wish to thank our participants, sponsors and stakeholders for their ongoing support and understanding.”
Speaking on behalf of the JOC shortly after the decision to cancel, Colonel Christo Engelbrecht of the SAPS said, “The route is unsafe, as the wind is constantly gusting in Woodstock, and the infrastructure at the start and finish venue has been compromised. It’s unsafe for runners and pedestrians in that whole area, and that’s why the race has had to be cancelled. It was a collective decision made by the whole team in the Joint Operations Committee.”
The Mayor of the City of Cape Town, Geordin Hill-Lewis, echoed the thoughts of the organising team. “All the runners must be disappointed, as are we all. But I’m grateful to the event organisers for taking a decision with runners’ safety in mind after heavy winds blew down some race infrastructure this morning. The City is committed to hosting events of the highest global standards, and that includes sometimes managing difficult calls like this one.”
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