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INTERVIEW
RJ: It was really important for us to host the Blue Number Club Dinner, and even more important to elevate the experience. Our entire team pulled out all the stops to have the finish venue at UCT ready a day early so that the Blue Number Club members attending the dinner could be the very first people to see the finish line. Based on the feedback we received, that was something many of them really appreciated.
At the moment, only a small percentage of Blue Number Club members attend the dinner, and one of the biggest challenges is finding the right place for it within race week. If it’ s scheduled too early, many of our out-of-town members are unable to attend because they only arrive later in the week. Schedule it too close to race day, however, and many runners understandably prefer an early night before the event. It’ s a delicate balancing act, and we’ re continuing to look at ways to make the dinner as accessible and meaningful as possible.
Q: The demand for TTOM entries just keeps increasing, and I would imagine that is both great news and a huge challenge for you, even with the increased entry cap for next year?
RJ: It’ s wonderful to see running experiencing such strong growth across all distances and levels. We’ re seeing more people entering the sport than ever before, particularly younger runners, which is fantastic for the long-term future of running. It creates a healthy ecosystem where events thrive, and sponsors, retailers and other industry partners are able to invest back into the sport. At the same time, it presents a significant challenge, not only for TTOM but for many other events where the demand is often far greater than the available capacity, with events selling out months in advance.
For us, the challenge is finding ways to safely accommodate more runners while preserving the quality of the event experience. That means working closely with the City of Cape Town and our event stakeholders to explore solutions that allow us to grow responsibly and sustainably. Even after increasing the capacity of both the Ultra and Half Marathon to 21,000 participants each, we still received more than 50,000 ballot applications, which shows just how strong the demand remains.
Addressing that demand is one of our key priorities, but it also requires us to think differently about how people engage with the event. That was one of the motivations behind launching the Night Run. We recognised that there is a growing audience who may not yet be ready for the Half Marathon or Ultra, but who still want to be part of the TTOM experience. The Night Run creates another entry point into the event, and allows us to welcome even more people into the TTOM family.
Q: You’ ve said that your goal is to deliver an exceptional experience for every participant. Can you tell us about plans for 2027 that will deliver on that promise?
RJ: Our plan is to build on the strong foundation we laid in 2026 and continue elevating every aspect of the athlete experience. The 2027 race week will kick off with the introduction of the Night Run on Wednesday evening in Green Point, which is an exciting 32 TOTALSPORTS TWO OCEANS MARATHON 2027 POWERED BY BYD new addition to the race week programme.
It’ s a very different concept for the event, and we’ re working closely with our sponsors to create a vibrant atmosphere and a memorable experience for participants.
On Thursday, the three-day Expo will open at the CTICC. While we were hosted in CTICC 2 this year, we’ ll be moving to the larger CTICC 1 in 2027, giving us almost double the amount of space. This will allow for a larger registration area and a more engaging Expo experience. For us, it’ s not just about accommodating more exhibitors, it’ s about enhancing the athlete journey, from a seamless registration process to an exciting and interactive Expo environment.
The International Friendship Run will once again take place on Thursday, and we’ ve opened it up to a limited number of South African runners. This gives us an opportunity to showcase our local hospitality and the unique energy that South African runners bring, while helping our international visitors feel truly welcomed into the TTOM community.
On Friday, we’ ll host the Trail Run, with the addition of a third distance to cater for even more participants. Then, the Half Marathon will take place on Saturday, creating exciting opportunities for enhanced post-race activations and celebrations for our Half Marathon runners. Finally, on Sunday, the Ultra Marathon will rightfully take centre stage as the grand finale of race week. We’ re also exploring ways to create an even bigger celebration around the finish experience, potentially ending with a great after-party as well. Ultimately, it’ s about bringing all of these elements together to create a world-class race week experience.
Q: Lastly, what do you see as the main challenges and / or opportunities facing the event in the next few years? For example, we spoke earlier about meeting the ever-growing demand for entries as a challenge …
RJ: One of the biggest challenges, and at the same time one of the biggest opportunities, is the continued growth of running, and how we can safely accommodate more participants while preserving the quality and experience that make the event so special. A growing participant base makes the event even more attractive to sponsors, partners and
Meeting the huge demand for TTOM entries is both a challenge and an opportunity stakeholders, allowing us to create greater value for everyone involved and reinvest in the athlete experience.
Another significant opportunity lies in further growing the international profile of the event. We already attract close to 4,000 international participants, who make an important contribution to tourism, job creation and the Western Cape economy. The same is true for the thousands of runners who travel from other provinces to take part. Continuing to strengthen the global reputation of TTOM has the potential to deliver substantial benefits both for the event and for South Africa as a destination.
The elite side of the event is another area with potential. A strong elite field is important for the growth of our sport because it provides aspirational role models and gives athletes something to strive towards. We are committed to continuing to build our elite programme.
Q: With all these potential growth areas, I assume the TTOM management team is constantly doing introspection about what works well, versus what could be improved or changed?
RJ: Absolutely. One of the things we challenge ourselves on constantly is how we can create an experience that not only brings athletes to the event, but also makes them want to return year after year. That requires regular reflection on every aspect of the athlete journey, and asking ourselves where we can improve, innovate and raise the standard. At the same time, we need to ensure that we are meeting the expectations of all our stakeholders, from athletes and spectators to sponsors, and the broader community. Every one of those groups plays an important role in the success of the event.
We also recognise that what is considered world-class today may not necessarily be considered world-class tomorrow. Expectations evolve, technology advances, and best practices continue to change. That means we can never become complacent. It’ s about constantly challenging ourselves to improve, learning from other leading events around the world, and raising the bar year after year to ensure that the Totalsports TWO OCEANS MARATHON powered by BYD continues to deliver a world-class experience for everyone involved.
Images: Two Oceans Marathon