The Sanlam Cape Town Marathon delivered the fastest day of marathon running ever seen on African soil, with Ethiopia's Mohamed Esa clocking 2:04:55 to win the men's race and compatriot Dera Dida taking the women's title in 2:23:18. Three of the event's four course records fell on a near-perfect morning, confirming Cape Town's growing reputation as one of the quickest big-city courses anywhere in the world.
Esa's winning time took more than three minutes off the previous course record of 2:08:16 and edged a thrilling men's contest that came down to the final strides. He crossed the line just four seconds clear of fellow Ethiopian Yihunilign Adane, the pair having pushed each other through a relentless second half. No marathon run on the continent has ever been faster, a statement of intent from a field assembled specifically to chase the clock.
Dida's 2:23:18 was almost as emphatic. The Ethiopian won by 27 seconds from Mestawut Fikir and finished within a minute of the women's course record of 2:22:22 set by South Africa's Glenrose Xaba in 2024. It was a controlled, front-running display from one of the most consistent marathoners of her generation, and it added further weight to an already record-laden afternoon in the Mother City.
Much of the pre-race attention, however, had fallen on Eliud Kipchoge, who used Cape Town to make his competitive marathon debut on African soil. The two-time Olympic champion did not contend for the win but treated the occasion as the opening chapter of a wider personal project to race marathons across the continent. His presence drew enormous crowds and lent the event a global profile that organisers have long sought.
With records falling and elite fields deepening, Cape Town's ambition to join the Abbott World Marathon Majors looks increasingly credible. A fast, scenic course, a strong sponsor base and now the fastest performances in African marathon history give the race a powerful case. For a continent that produces so many of the sport's greatest distance runners, a homegrown major would be a fitting addition to the calendar.