About 18 000 runners will participate in the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon on Sunday 16 October.
Now in its 15th, year, the event is a candidate for selection to be part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, alongside six of the largest and most renowned marathons in the world.
With the candidacy comes a revised route which will see athletes start from Helen Suzman Boulevard and run on the elevated freeway and the N2, to join the southern suburbs.
As a result of the revised route, the outbound lanes on Buitengracht Street between Helen Suzman Boulevard and Dock Road will be closed to traffic between 05:30 and 07:30.
There will also be comprehensive road closures on Long Street from 06:30 until 13:00. No parking will be allowed on Long Street.
Additionally, the outbound lanes on Nelson Mandela Boulevard between Dock Road and Searle Street will be closed from 04:30 until 09:00.
So while driving around in the City on the day of the race may not be the best idea, there is no reason why residents living close to the route can’t simply walk or cycle to their nearest point along the route and cheer on the athletes as they run by.
Here are the top spectator points:
- The Start: While Granger Bay Boulevard will be closed to pedestrians, there will be an opportunity for locals to view all the start line action from the vicinity of Main Road and Buitengracht Street before runners take the N1/N2 outbound lane on the elevated freeway towards the N2. This area will be heavily controlled and some access points may be blocked. Only use this option if you live nearby and can walk, or if you drive in with family or friends that are running.
- Woodstock (6km): The 2nd hydration point is located at Victoria Road/Fairview Avenue. Runners will still be fresh, and the last athletes should pass here around 8:00.
- Claremont: If your Sunday morning routine involves hitting the Virgin Active in Claremont located on the corner of Claremont Boulevard and Mill Road, add to your workout by cheering on runners as they come past the 4th hydration point between 7:00 and 9:00.
- Michael’s Restaurant & Rondebosch Park (15km): Michael’s opens at 8:00 on Sunday – the perfect time to order a coffee and watch the marathon action from the sidewalk.
- Rondebosch Common (19km- 20km): The loop around the Common can seem never-ending on Race Day, and runners need all the encouragement they can get as they approach the half-way mark.
- Salt River (25km-27km): The part of the route between Albert Road and Newmarket Street is straight and fast, but the mind games are starting to kick in and many marathoners start to question their life choices. We call on all the locals to cheer on these runners as they come through between 7:00 and 11:00.
- District Six (28.5km): The marathon will go through the historic District Six (corner of Chapel and Hanover) for the first time. Runners can look forward to some freshly made treats at the District Six community table.
- District Six, Darling Street (30km): – The 450m stretch along Darling between Canterbury and Plein takes runners past the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, the Castle of Good Hope and the City Hall.
- Plein St Johns/Hatfield; Orange Street & Long Street (31km- 34km): These streets are easily accessible on foot by surrounding residents and offer ample opportunities to motivate your favourite runners as they tackle the climb up to Orange Street. Long Street will be the hub of all the action though. Home to the adidas cheer zone, this point of the race is likely where many runners will hit the wall, and therefore the perfect place to encourage them as they tackle the last 10km to the finish. The majority of athletes pass here between 8:00 and 12:00.
- Green Point, Main Road (35km): With the KFM cheer zone situated at the 35.4km mark, runners can practically taste the finish before they are diverted back towards Sea Point for their final loop. The road may be flat, but this flatness makes it unrelenting with no chance to rest those legs.
- Sea Point, Beach Road/St John’s Road (40km): – The last few kms are always the hardest, and at this point most runners JUST. WANT. TO. FINISH. Project some of your positive vibes and energy their way as runners hit the final hydration station on the route, hosted by Sanlam, before they run, walk or limp to the finish.
- Green Point, Helen Suzman Drive (42km): There will be public seating on the finish line, available on a first-come, first-served basis. This is a great place to watch the drama unfold in the elite races early in the morning, and also a fantastic vantage point to follow the rest of the race.
The complete list of road closures is available here: https://bit.ly/3SHQZe9
You can also view the live road closures map on race day here: https://cpt-marathon.herokuapp.com/
