WATCH: Hilarious reactions to the cancelled Cape Town Marathon

This past weekend, the Cape Town Marathon was called off thanks to the one local resident who never misses an appearance when you least need it: the Cape Doctor. And as Capetonians know, when the wind arrives, it doesn’t negotiate, it dominates.

The gusts were so fierce that if you hung washing outside, your clothes were probably twisted around the washing line like a liquorice rope. It simply wasn’t the kind of weather where you’d voluntarily be outside, let alone run a marathon.

According to official reports, the intense winds created unsafe conditions across the marathon route, leading organisers to cancel the event. Safety came first even if disappointment followed close behind.

Still, not everyone took the hint. Some runners and seasoned athletes, who’d trained and tapered for months, decided to kap aan regardless.

Perhaps they genuinely believed the wind would give them an extra push or at least blow them to the finish line faster.

On the other side of the spectrum were the relieved participants who welcomed the cancellation. No need to wake up before sunrise to tick “I ran the Cape Town Marathon” off the bucket list. The wind took care of that excuse rather neatly.

Then you had the blessed group who saw that cancellation message and said, “Praise be”.

No need to wake up before sunrise to tick “I ran the Cape Town Marathon” off the bucket list. The wind took care of that excuse rather neatly.

Instagrammer @simmiareff said: “I cannot tell you how happy I am that this marathon has been cancelled. I did zero training, I did nothing. I got a race entry, zero training, I was going to be the laughing stock to my friends.

"I was gonna have a did not finish, did not start! I didn’t study for the test and then I go to school and the teacher was sick, so I bought myself some time. See you next year!”

Now that is a testimony.

The kind of relief that tastes like a public holiday you forgot about. He wasn’t even pretending, he knew he was about to arrive at that race with vibes and vibes alone. The man saw the weather cancel his embarrassment and said, “God’s timing.”

Comedian Schalk Bezuidenhout was also one of the first to weigh in with classic commentary.

“All the runners that still went for a run - you guys were feeling good, feeling positive. Bliksem! I saw messages: ‘Come, let’s get together at 6.30 and do a 30k.’ Mense, I'm sorry. When I got that cancellation message, I went back to bed. I had a show last night and only slept five hours and wasn’t feeling up for a run.”

Honestly, same. If my phone tells me “event cancelled,” I’m not arguing, I’m rolling over and claiming it as a sign from the universe to rest or just saving me from some sort of tragedy.

“Also mense, the excitement, it was like trying to get the cork back after you’ve popped a bottle of champagne. It’s impossible. So well done to those who still went for a run.”

Then there was another runner, Instagram user @Sipho_marima, who had us laughing with his take on the whole situation. He hilariously opposed the question,

“What must I do with all this fitness? What must I do with the 3 minutes per K that I had?”

 All that training, all those early mornings, and now the wind just snatched your gains like a magician. But as we know it, you can’t argue with Mother Nature, she's feisty. Sometimes your fitness, your dreams, and your meticulously planned 30k just have to sit on the bench and watch.

Moral of the story? Whether you ran, slept, or laughed at it all from the sidelines, the Cape Doctor won this round.