STATISTICS
In our regular Stats Section, we dig down into some of the interesting event statistics for the Totalsports Two Oceans Ultra Marathon and Half Marathon.
GROWTH OF THE EVENT
The Ultra Marathon has grown immensely since the first race in 1970 with 26 entrants!
ROLLCALL OF BLUE NUMBERS
B Y
T H E
N U M B E R S
IN THE ULTRA MARATHON
26 1229 5469 11,000
The number of entrants in the first edition of the race in 1970.
Entries exceed 1000 for the first time in 1979.
The first time more than 5000 lined up in the Ultra, in 1986
In 2013, entries exceeded 10,000 for the first time, as the new entry limit was set at 11,000, and the race duly sold out, beating the previous best mark of 9769 in 2004.
IN THE HALF MARATHON
3593 5332 10,757 16,000
The number of entrants in the first edition of the race in 1998.
The first time more than 5000 lined up in the Half, in 2002
Entries exceed 10,000 for the first time in 2007.
The limit is extended to 16,000 in 2012, and sells out quickly, beating the previous highest mark of 14,096( 2011)
MOST TTOM WINS
6
5 4 4
4 3
Gerda Steyn leads the overall TTOM winners’ list, with six consecutive wins in the women’ s race in the Ultra from 2018 to 2025( excluding the COVID-affected years).
Namibia’ s Helalia Johannes demonstrated remarkable longevity to win the women’ s title in the Half Marathon in 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2019.
Monica Drögemöller( 1988, 1990-1992) and Elena Nurgalieva( 2004-5, 2009, 2012) each posted four wins in the women’ s race in the Ultra.
Stephen Mokoka stamped his name in the history books by winning the men’ s Half Marathon title four times in 2009 as well as 2013 to 2015.
Landie Greyling has four consecutive women’ s wins in the TTOM Long Trail Run, from 2012 to 2015.
There are five athletes with three wins each in the Ultra( Siphiwe Gqele, Marko Mambo, Beverly Malan, Angelina Sephooa and Olesya Nurgalieva), two in the Half( Charne Rademeyer and Elijah Mutandiro), and one in the men’ s Long Trail Run( Kane Reilly).
ULTRA MARATHON BLUE NUMBERS
12 85 686 5728 16 6527
Runners with 40 or more Ultra medals.
Runners with 30 to 39 Ultra medals.
Runners with 20 to 29 Ultra medals.
Runners with 10 to 19 Ultra medals.
Runners who have earned a Blue Number by winning the race three times or earning five gold medals.
73 2310 4 2387
Total number of Blue numbers awarded in the history of the Ultra Marathon.
HALF MARATHON LIGHT BLUE NUMBERS
Runners with 20 or more Half medals.
Runners with 10 to 19 Half medals.
Runners who have earned a Light Blue Number by winning the race three times.
Total number of Light Blue numbers awarded in the history of the Half Marathon.
TRAIL RUN KHAKI NUMBERS
Runners with 10 or more medals in the Trail Run
Runners who have earned a Khaki Number by winning the race three times.
Total number of runners who have earned a TTOM permanent number in the 56-year history of the event.
42 Totalsports Two Oceans Note Marathon that some 2026 of these stats will change in coming months as substitution entries are processed and added.
6 2
TOTAL BLUE NUMBERS
8922
Gerda Steyn has the most TTOM wins in the history of the event
Images: Two Oceans Marathon, Action Photo SA