Following the cancellation of the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon (SCTM), the 400 Waterfall City Athletic Club (WCAC) runners turned their disappointments into fun and an outing.
WCAC chairperson Muneiwa Ndonyane, in a telephonic interview from Cape Town on October 20, said they understood the cancellation of the 2025 Sanlam Cape Town Marathon as it posed a danger to the athletes.
The SCTM organisers called off the marathon allegedly in the 11th hour on October 19 due to severe winds, which wreaked havoc and damaged the start and finish points, including running routes.
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Ndonyane said 400 WCAC members were left disappointed after investing their time in intense training ahead of the marathon.
“Despite the shared disappointments felt across the running community following the cancellation of the marathon, our WCAC members decided to lace up and run anyway – a beautiful reminder that our love for the sport goes beyond medals and official routes.
“It is a sombre moment here in Cape Town now. As the text message came [from SCTM], some of our runners were already at the venue and ready to hit the route. Runners had to book their own accommodations and travel logistics, so this is where disappointment for most of our runners came in a bit late,” added Ndonyane.
She said their athletes were not worried about the money spent to attend the marathon, but were concerned with not being able to run and attempt to qualify for the Comrades Marathon and Two Oceans Marathon.
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Ndonyane hoped those runners would understand and appreciate that the organisers had to make a difficult decision to prioritise the safety and well-being of all participants, volunteers, and spectators.
In a Facebook page post, the local club members, while enjoying lunch, chanted: ‘We are not crying for flights, we’re not crying for accommodation; we’re crying for our fitness’.
Although the organisers said they would not compensate runners, they have offered free entry to all marathon runners for May next year or 2027, depending on the capacity constraints.
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