Due to severe winds overnight that carried on into the early hours of the morning, the 2025 Sanlam Cape Town Marathon was cancelled at short notice on Sunday. The decision was made at 4:45am, and communications to all runners went out at 5am in the form of direct WhatsApp messages and a dedicated running club captains’ group, as well as statements on social media platforms and 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.”
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.
File photo: Mark Sampson
