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GEORGE NEWS AND VIDEO - It was going to be local runner Hanlie Nel's first marathon at the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon on Sunday, but little did she know she would return to George without her medal - disappointed, baffled and heartbroken.

She was not the only one who shared her disbelief when at 05:05 on Sunday morning, the runners received the following message just hours before the race was meant to start:

"Attention: Due to safety reasons, the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon has been cancelled. Please DO NOT report to the start. The event will NOT go ahead. Further updates will be communicated."

The sudden change in plans sparked strong emotional reactions from those runners who had spent months preparing for the race, some travelling from as far as Brazil and North Africa in the hope of qualifying for major events such as the Comrades Marathon and the Two Oceans. 

This time, there was no glory on the grounds of one of South Africa's most loved races. Instead, the scene that unfolded looked like something out of a movie, with wide-eyed participants milling around aimlessly, shocked, disappointed, and some even in tears.

In a press release issued by the Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, JP Smith, the City of Cape Town confirmed that the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon had been called off due to severe wind damage. 

High winds caused significant damage to infrastructure along the route, making conditions unsafe for runners, officials and spectators. The City thanked the organisers, volunteers and participants for their efforts and expressed its disappointment over the cancellation, reaffirming its support for the marathon's future goal to become part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors series.

Shadi Chauke, Group Executive for Corporate Affairs and Sustainability at Sanlam, the title sponsor, confirmed on the official Cape Town Marathon social media page that the company was deeply disappointed about the cancellation. 

She said the marathon deserves its place among the Abbott World Marathon Majors and was well on its way to achieving that goal. Sanlam extended its support to affected runners by offering free entries into the marathon in either 2026 or 2027, depending on capacity constraints.

Local runner Johan du Preez of the Outeniqua Harriers took a balanced view, saying the cancellation was unfortunate but understandable. 

With previous event organisation experience, he said he appreciated that safety came first, and that he could only imagine how difficult the decision must have been. Some, he noted, might suggest that the organisers could have started an hour later, but that would have had a knock-on effect. 

Changing the route was also not feasible, as there are several interdependent factors involved. He urged everyone to respect the organisers' decision.

Du Preez added that many runners are drawn to this race for its atmosphere and extended cut-off time. While the usual marathon cut-off is five hours, the Cape Town Marathon allows seven and a half hours, making it more accessible to runners who need extra time to finish and still qualify for upcoming events like the Comrades and Two Oceans marathons. 

He reminded everyone that there is still plenty of time to qualify, with the Vlakte Marathon in Heidelberg being one such opportunity. Entries for the race are still open.

Danie Raubenheimer of the George Nedbank Running Club felt the organisers could have anticipated the strong winds and should have had contingency plans in place. He felt that the cancellation did more damage than good and that it may have a negative effect on their bid to secure the race as an Abbott major.

Liezel Smith, a local runner, told George Herald after the initial shock, she heard that thousands of runners were planning on gathering at Sea Point to run together. "I jumped back into my gear and joined them, ending up running 21km with random strangers," she said.

Video: In the video interviews with Jeff Ayliffe of Group Editors, the athletes had mixed reactions to the cancellation.

Her takeaway was that South Africans are a resilient nation. "To see thousands of runners coming together despite the massive letdown and still running was such a powerful display of South African spirit," she said. Motorists cheered, people sang and danced, and others handed out water and food along the way. "It was a bittersweet experience, not being able to run the official marathon but still being part of something very special. Some runners even completed the full 42km."

Following the cancellation of the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon, the organisers have issued a statement and timeline explaining exactly how it came about.

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