Get ready for the Two Oceans Marathon in Cape Town on April 11, featuring Gerda Steyn’s quest for a seventh consecutive title, with increased prize money and essential race day planning tips for participants and spectators. Picture: Tobias Ginsberg
Image: Tobias Ginsberg
With the Two Oceans Marathon edging ever closer, there are a few things you need to know to make the race more enjoyable for both spectators and participants.
The 56km race will take place in Cape Town on April 11, with the half marathon being held a day later. The start will be on Main Road in Newlands near Dean Street, with the finish at the University of Cape Town upper campus rugby field.
As a participant, you will likely know that all your major training is behind you already, and now it’s just about winding down to race day, doing your best to stay healthy and injury-free.
If you don’t live in Cape Town, your accommodation should already be booked. If it’s not, then you may have some problems, and it might be worth looking up that long-lost acquaintance as a backup.
Then there is planning your race day. This is not referring to how fast or slow you plan to run the race, but knowing exactly what time you will leave for the race and what time you need to be at the start line. This importantly needs to factor in the vital bodily functions before you spend hours on the road, hopefully not needing to make any emergency plans in this regard.
Then there is the small matter of the favourites for the race. While the men’s race is quite wide open as there have been six different winners in the last half dozen events, it’s a completely different story on the women’s side.
Gerda Steyn, 36, will be gunning for her seventh title in a row, and once more comes into the race in fine form.
Over the last few weeks, Steyn has turned out at some of the toughest races in Gauteng.
In Joburg’s ‘Toughest Half Marathon’ at the Pirates 21km in mid-February, Steyn had to settle for second place in 80 minutes and 14 seconds (80:24) behind Lesotho’s Neheng Khatala (79:33).
Since then, though, Steyn returned to winning ways at the Sunrise Monster 32km race in Pretoria as she completed the gruelling course in 2:06:56, which works out to a pace of 3:58 per km, which is similar to her goal speed for Two Oceans.
The prize money for 2026 has been increased by R130,000 to R380,000 for first place in the respective men’s and women’s races in the 56km event.