Cape Town – The Cape Town Marathon was cancelled on Sunday due to strong winds that made the route unsafe for the 24,000 runners expected to participate.
The decision was made at 4:45am, after structures at the start and finish areas in Green Point were blown over during the night.
While the 10km street race and trail runs on Saturday proceeded without incident, organisers and city officials said safety had to come first.
#sapsHQ The Cape Town Sanlam marathon has been cancelled due to safety reasons. Brigadier Gift Kekana, Chairperson of SAPS national Marathon Association, says that further communication will be provided to #SAPS runners who were scheduled to take part in the race. SAPS runners… pic.twitter.com/KBNrkJ0X4I
— SA Police Service 🇿🇦 (@SAPoliceService) October 19, 2025
Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis expressed disappointment but supported the decision, praising organisers for prioritising runners’ safety.
The Sanlam Cape Town Marathon was cancelled this morning due to high winds at the race start and along the route. I’m disappointed of course, and gutted for the runners who have prepared so well. But I’m grateful to the event organisers and authorities for taking a decision with…
— Geordin Hill-Lewis (@geordinhl) October 19, 2025
Marathon CEO Clark Gardner said they were “devastated” but acknowledged that the weather was beyond their control.
Colonel Christo Engelbrecht confirmed that high winds in Woodstock had compromised race infrastructure, making it too dangerous to continue.
Official: Cape Town Marathon 2025 Cancelled https://t.co/kzLmjuP6dN pic.twitter.com/6O69aPE09q
— Tumi Sole (@tumisole) October 19, 2025
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
