Two Oceans marathon sets record with 98 countries represented, boosting economic impact

THE Two Oceans is not only ‘the world’s most beautiful marathon’ but also ‘Africa’s biggest event’ thanks to its massive contribution to the Western Cape’s revenue.

This much was confirmed by a study from 2017, and the organisers of this year’s edition of the 56km ultra, its half-marathon, as well as the trail runs, plus the Cape Town International Friendship Run, believe that the impact will be even bigger.

The Two Oceans Marathon organisers say they have record highs of international entries for this year’s races, taking place over the weekend of April 5 in the Mother City. The race will have an incredible 98 countries represented in the different events.

Expectedly, South Africans will form the bulk of the participants. Neighbours Namibia and Zimbabwe will send 839 and 798 runners each, respectively, to carry their flags. The UK is in fourth place with 337 participants. For this year’s race, a total of about 4 500 internationals are coming over.

It is the fact that the race has attracted runners from ‘every conceivable corner of the world’ that excites the organisers, with countries such as Mauritania, Malaysia, Ecuador, Slovakia, Palestine, and New Zealand, to mention just a few.

“It’s an honour to be welcoming more than 4 500 internationals from a record 98 countries to our shores – the highest number of countries to be represented in the history of our Two Oceans Marathon event. This speaks to the truly globally iconic nature of our race,” said race manager Hilton Kearns.

It confirms to them that the Two Oceans truly is ‘the world’s most beautiful marathon’. After all, this is a race of which it was said by The New York Times once that ‘If there’s one race you must run in your lifetime, it has to be the Two Oceans’. Endorsements surely don’t come bigger than this one, do they?

And with good reason too, as the 56km ultra takes runners on arguably the most scenic road of any road race in the worldaround Chapman’s Peak.

“We are striving to make the 2025 event a memorable one for our international runners, and it is fitting that in a year of record international entries, we’ve also managed to bring back the Cape Town International Friendship Run,” Kearns continued.

The benefits are particularly felt by the city and the province, given the contribution the visiting internationals make to the economy. The Two Oceans Marathon weekend is said to create about 4 000 temporary jobs, a number not surpassed by any of the country’s other major running events. And that’s what the economic impact is pegged on.

“We are, of course, also pleased at the important ancillary impact this kind of tourism pull has on the local economy, and to be recognised at the highest levels as an event that’s important in this context,” Kearns adds.