With a personal best of 2:01:09, Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge is historically the fastest man in the 2026 Sanlam Cape Town Marathon field, and his recent 2:05:25 in London makes him one of the fastest on recent form as well.
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While much of the build-up to Sunday’s Sanlam Cape Town Marathon has centred around marathon icon Eliud Kipchoge and arguably the strongest international field ever assembled on African soil, South Africa’s leading runners will arrive carrying quiet belief that another upset could be brewing.
That confidence has only grown after the breakthrough victory of Arthur Jantjies at last month’s Two Oceans Marathon, where the previously little-known ultra specialist stunned a stacked elite field to win one of the country’s most prestigious road races in 3:09:25.
Jantjies is not part of Sunday’s marathon field, but his remarkable victory served as a timely reminder that local runners are still capable of challenging more established international stars on the biggest occasions. The scale of the challenge awaiting South Africa’s marathon hopefuls in Cape Town, however, is immense.
The elite men’s field includes eight athletes who have run faster than 2:05, led by Kipchoge, the former world record-holder and two-time Olympic marathon champion whose 2:01:09 personal best makes him the fastest athlete in the race’s history. Ethiopia’s Mohamed Esa, Israel’s Maru Teferi and a deep contingent of Kenyan and Ethiopian contenders ensure the pace is likely to be relentless from the start.
Yet South Africa’s runners will see opportunity in that intensity.
Leading the local charge is veteran Stephen Mokoka, whose résumé still commands enormous respect both locally and internationally. Mokoka is a three-time Cape Town Marathon winner and former South African marathon record-holder, and his 2:06:42 personal best remains one of the fastest times ever run by a South African.
At 40, Mokoka may no longer be considered among the outright favourites for victory, but his experience and tactical intelligence could prove invaluable in a race expected to go out at near course-record pace thanks to the inclusion of pacesetters like SA half-marathon record-holder Adriaan Wildshutt.
Alongside Mokoka, Desmond Mokgobu brings proven international pedigree, having previously clocked 2:09:13 in Valencia, while Bennett Seloyi continues to emerge as one of the country’s promising marathon talents after his breakthrough 2:13 performance in Kimberley last year.
Veteran Stephen Mokoka, a three-time Cape Town Marathon winner and former South African marathon record-holder, will lead the local charge at Sunday's race.
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Another intriguing local storyline comes in the form of marathon debutant Anthony Timoteus. The Cape Town-based athlete owns a rapid 28:48 10km personal best and now steps up to the classic distance against one of the deepest marathon fields seen anywhere in the world this year.
For South African runners, Sunday’s race represents more than just a shot at prize money or fast times. With the Cape Town Marathon edging ever closer to becoming Africa’s first Abbott World Marathon Major, strong local performances would reinforce South Africa’s long-standing reputation as one of the continent’s great distance-running nations.
And after Jantjies’ unforgettable Two Oceans breakthrough, local runners will believe the gap between underdog and superstar may not be as wide as many think.