As thousands of runners prepare to take to the streets for the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon on Sunday, 24 May, the event is once again proving to be far more than a race.
Image: Supplied
This year’s marathon is expected to contribute more than R800 million to the Western Cape economy, driven by an influx of local and international visitors arriving in Cape Town for one of Africa’s largest road-running events.
Around 8,500 international runners are expected to participate, alongside thousands of South African athletes, supporters and spectators. The impact stretches across the city’s tourism and hospitality sectors, benefiting hotels, guesthouses, restaurants, transport providers and local tour operators.
The three-day Cape Town Marathon Expo is also expected to draw more than 60,000 visitors, highlighting the growing global profile of the event and Cape Town’s status as an international sports destination.
Yet much of what makes marathon weekend possible happens long before runners line up at the start.
Behind the finish-line celebrations sits a vast operation involving organisers, logistics teams, suppliers, hydration crews and transport providers working for months behind the scenes. Preparations for key partners such as Coca-Cola Peninsula Beverages (CCPB) reportedly begin up to six months in advance.
The scale is significant.
This year’s event is expected to require approximately 183,000 litres of water, 23,000 litres of Powerade, more than 1.2 million cups and around 50 tons of ice to keep runners hydrated across marathon weekend.
Race weekend itself becomes an almost round-the-clock operation. Overnight crews prepare refreshment stations while delivery vehicles move supplies through the city before sunrise. Teams remain on duty long after the final runners cross the finish line.
“Supporting an event such as the Cape Town Marathon is a months-long operation involving people and teams from across our business,” says Dan Davis, Commercial Activations Lead at CCPB.
“Planning begins well before race weekend and involves extensive coordination with the event organisers on route logistics, refreshment stations, the finish village and the expo, all to make sure runners have access to hydration when they need it.”
Marc Odendal, Commercial Sports and Marketing Assets Lead at CCPB, says many spectators only witness a small part of the operation on race day.
“Runners and supporters might only see our team members handing out refreshments along the route but backing them up are hundreds of people working to help make the event happen,” he explains.
This year’s marathon also carries added significance after the 2025 edition was cancelled due to severe wind conditions. Organisers have reportedly incorporated extensive contingency planning into this year’s preparations to help ensure the event proceeds safely.
“Whether someone finishes in record time or misses the cutoff, we want every person taking part to feel supported,” says Davis.
“For us, success is making sure every runner has access to hydration and crosses the line safely.”
The Sanlam Cape Town Marathon remains Africa’s only Abbott World Marathon Majors candidate, further cementing its growing international reputation on the global running calendar.
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