RULES OF THE ROAD
# RUNHONEST and Make Every Step Count
Sadly, there are a number of ways that runners can bend or ignore the rules of the road when it comes to the Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon( TTOM) races, and some of these can have serious consequences. This is why we are launching the # RunHonest Campaign.
At the heart of the sport of road running lies a noble value of sportsmanship and honesty. Every runner participating in a race makes a commitment to‘ earn’ each kilometre of that race, and the medal at the finishline. There are no shortcuts to get there – you have to put one foot in front of the other, and keep going until you cross that line.
Unfortunately, not every athlete follows this ethos, and when someone bends the rules – whether intentionally or not – it doesn’ t just affect their own result, it undermines the integrity of the entire event and the hard work of thousands of others, and can also place runners at grave risk.
This is why TTOM celebrates not just endurance and achievement, but also integrity, and why we are proud to launch the # RunHonest Campaign, encouraging all runners to uphold the spirit of true sportsmanship on race day. As a part of that, we’ d like to highlight a few of the ways that runners have broken the rules in the past, and call on all runners to not go down this proverbial road in 2026.
1
BATCH-JUMPING Starting in a faster batch than your allocated seeding is not permitted. It creates congestion, safety risks, and gives you an unfair advantage.
Starting batch seeding is allocated for each runner so that the overall field is broken into smaller groups that allow for a safer and quicker start for all runners, with free-flowing movement and less chance of a crush situation in the event of one or more runners tripping and falling. If all runners simply‘ jumped’ into an earlier batch, the system would soon collapse and the entire start could become both chaotic and dangerous.
2
RUNNING
WITH ANOTHER RUNNER’ S NUMBER Running with somebody else’ s race number, without following the proper substitution process, is strictly prohibited. It compromises timing, results, and medical tracking.
Race numbers are registered to a specific individual, with allocated seeding according to the information supplied during the entry process, and medical info stored in the entrant database for that runner. Therefore, running under another person’ s number and name invalidates not just results, but also insurance coverage in the event of that illegal runner experiencing and accident or injury during the race.
Most importantly, the medical questionnaire that each runner fills out before the race is linked to that specific number, so in the event of a
Let’ s all # RunHonest in 2026
medical emergency, a runner wearing somebody else’ s number could be treated incorrectly. This has actually happened before at TTOM, when a runner who had collapsed at the finish was brought into the medical tent and the medical team were about to administer treatment according to the medical info on record, including medication, only for the runner to come round just in time and stop them from administering medication he was highly allergic to!
3
UNREGISTERED
PARTICIPANTS Participating in the race without a valid entry is prohibited, as this affects logistics, water point supplies and safety support on the route.
Often referred to as‘ Pirate Runners,’ these runners line up for a race that they have not entered, nor paid to be part of, usually without a race number, and then they not only participate in the race, but also make use of refreshment stations, and sometimes even try to finish and claim a medal! This can lead to potentially dangerous congestion at the start and on the route, the refreshment stations not having adequate supplies for all runners on the road, and unknown runners needing medical treatment without the benefit of medical records on hand.
4
COURSE-CUTTING Every runner must complete the full, officially measured route. Taking shortcuts or deviating from the marked course is considered cheating.
Some runners take shortcuts along the route, accept or even arrange lifts in vehicles to reduce the distance they need to cover, or even run as a team to‘ share’ the distance. In some cases, this is done by faster athletes trying to cheat their way into a podium position or the prize money, but sometimes it is by slower runners who just want to earn another finish and medal without as much effort, or to make it home within a cut-off time. Either way, it is cheating!
Consequences of Rule Violations
Athletes found guilty of breaking any of the above rules at TTOM face one or more of the following penalties:
• Immediate disqualification from the event.
• Removal from the official results and forfeiture of medals and / or prizes.
• Being banned from future TTOM events( or other sanctioned road races).
• Notification to provincial and national running bodies for disciplinary action.
The running community values fairness, honesty, camaraderie, and pride in doing things the right way. The # RunHonest campaign is a reminder that every stride should reflect not just fitness, endurance and strength, but also honesty and integrity.
Images: Two Oceans Marathon
8 Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon 2026