2023 PREVIEW
Series has grown from three to five events , with Gqeberha ( new race ) starting the series on 2 April , followed by Cape Town ( 14 May ), Durban ( 9 July ) and Tshwane ( 27 August – new race ), and culminating with the final race in Johannesburg on 24 September . This series has captured the imagination of the South African road running fraternity , with huge numbers entering the races , while the elite runners have taken full advantage of the incredible incentives and prize money on offer .
Joshua Cheptegei
Comrades Marathon
Two Oceans and Comrades are once again around eight weeks apart , and this will mean that South Africa ’ s top ultra-runners will be deciding which race to focus on . Traditionally , many choose the Comrades , and this provides a challenge for Two Oceans , as the best runners will not be racing at their best in Cape Town , in order to save something for June .
Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon
forward to , including the Nedbank Runified Breaking Barriers 50km on 26 February in Gqeberha . This Label race has witnessed a whole host of records in its short lifespan and is looking to continue to do so .
Comrades is back on 11 June and will be a ‘ Down Run ’ again this year . As usual , the big guns of the ultra-running community will be vying for line honours , with the likes of former winners Bongmusa Mthembu and Edwards Mothibi in the mix , so it will be another hard run . However , after dominating the 2022 race , the Nedbank Team has shown how to tackle the race , and has probably started a new era of approaching the Ultimate
Human Race .
That said , this opens a huge opportunity for Two Oceans to reposition itself . The required standards to get into international marathons are getting tougher , with insane depth around the world , and this means that SA marathoners who are posting 2:12 to 2:15 times will no longer get into those international races . In fact , a 2:10 marathon is now almost expected if you want to get into an international marathon . South Africa has a plethora of 2:12 to 2:15 runners , who could instead be targeted to run the Two Oceans , and they could run some seriously fast times on the 56km route .
The Sanlam Cape Town Marathon is looking to become a World Marathon Major , but it faces enormous challenges in securing the necessary funding , as the Majors all have Platinum Label Status , and that comes with some stringent requirements on the elite side . Besides the Label Fee of US $ 50,000 ( presently R850,000 ), for this 2023 edition of the race , they will need to pay to get at least three athletes per gender ( irrespective of their country or territory representation ) with Platinum Status , and at least four athletes per gender with Gold Status ( or higher ), or they will need to make a $ 200,000 contribution to the 2023 Solidarity Fund for Elite Distance Runners . It is an expensive exercise , without even looking at the increased number of runners required , the road closures , etc .
Fast Times Expected
In terms of shorter distances , the Absa RUN YOUR CITY
Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series
The RUN YOUR CITY Series showcases the best of South Africa against some of the best in the world . That has seen Joshua Cheptegei , a double World Record-holder as well as multiple World Champion and Olympic Champion , run the fastest time for 10km on SA Soil with his 27:16 , while Maxime Chaumeton became the first South African to run under 28 minutes on SA Soil . Also , who can forget Jesca Chelangat ’ s SA Open Record of 30:41 run in Durban in 2022 . Few will deny that this series has had a monumental impact on the South African road running circuit .
Another big race to look out for is the Nelson Mandela Bay Half Marathon on 3 June , which always attracts both SA ’ s best and top international athletes , too , while the fast and flat course offers really good times . The Spar Women ’ s Grand Prix Series has yet to confirm dates for 2023 , but the impact this series has made on women ’ s running in South Africa is undeniable . Meanwhile , ASA has provisionally listed its 10km Championships ( venue to be announced ) on the same weekend ( first weekend in November ) as the popular Soweto Marathon , with its huge prize money , even in the 10km . That ’ s another intriguing date selection .
Two Oceans is again over two days on 15-16 April , with the half marathon on Saturday and the ultra on Sunday , as per changes introduced in 2022 .
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Sanlam Cape Town Marathon