One of the biggest springtime events in the Mother City is the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon, when over 27 000 runners from all corners of the globe gather to experience the diversity of our breathtaking (excuse the pun, please) suburbs and landmarks on foot.
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While training for any marathon requires months of sweat, tears and smartwatch tracking, spectating takes little to no effort at all – if you know the right spots, of course. Residents living in close proximity can simply walk, jog or cycle to their nearest viewing point along the route and cheer the athletes as they run by.
We all know Capetonians love a good block party and while the Sanlam marathon would love to transform the Mother City into the biggest block party from start to finish, please be mindful of the road closures in place.
Try not to drive to different points on the route as it will add strain to traffic. Stay local and support locally! There is a spectator point for everyone, no matter where you live, work or visit along the route
Here are the top spectator spots to show your support:
The start: The start of the race has moved to Fritz Sonnenberg Road and heads out towards Granger Bay. While Granger Bay Boulevard will be closed to pedestrians, there will be an opportunity for locals to view from Beach Road.
8km – off-ramp, N2: The second hydration point will be located on the off-ramp out of town. Runners will still be fresh and the last athletes should pass here around 8am.
14.2km – c/o Claremont Boulevard and Mill, Clarem0nt: If your Sunday morning routine involves hitting the Virgin Active in Claremont, add to your workout by cheering on runners as they come past the Virgin Active activation between 7am and 9am.
17.5km – Michael’s Restaurant and Rondebosch Park: Michael’s opens at 8am on Sunday – the perfect time to order a coffee and watch the marathon action from the sidewalk.
20.5km to 22.5km – Rondebosch Common: The loop around the Common can seem never-ending on Race Day, and the runners need all the encouragement they can get as they pass the half-way mark.
27km to 29km –Newmarket Street, Salt River: This part of the route is straight and fast, but the mind games will start to kick in at this point and many marathoners may start to question their life choices. We call on all the locals to cheer these runners as they come through between 7am and 11am.
30.4km – Darling Street: The 450-metre stretch along Darling between Canterbury and Plein Street takes runners past the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), the Castle of Good Hope and the iconic City Hall where Madiba delivered his first speech as a free man in 1990. This is bound to be a hive of activity with awesome photo opportunities as participants run past Madiba’s statue on the City Hall balcony.
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30.9km to 34km – Plein / St Johns / Hatfield, Orange Street and Long Street: 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.
Bustling 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.
There are many coffee shops and restaurants along this stretch and the majority of athletes pass here between 8am and 12pm. So sit back, order a drink and get your cheer on.
35km – Green Point Main Road: With the KFM cheer zone situated at the 35km mark, runners can practically taste the finish (and the sweat) before they are diverted back towards Sea Point for their final loop.
From Giovanni’s to Jason’s and beyond – there are many brunch and lunch options available as you watch the runners do all the hard work. The road may be flat, but this flatness makes it unrelenting with no chance to rest those burning calves.
Shout, cheer, encourage, give high fives … just don’t tell them the finish is around the corner!
40km – Beach Road / St John’s Road, Sea Point: The last few kilometres 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 / limp / crawl to the finish.
They’re almost done and you can boost their spirits to get them to the end.
42km – Helen Suzman Drive, Green Point: 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.
Details to watch the Elite Wheelchair Division:
- Elite Wheelchair Race: 6:10am
- Elite Race: 6:15am
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Picture: Kevin Woblick / Unsplash