Athletics-Cape Town marathon cancelled after high winds cause safety concerns

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By Nick Said

CAPE TOWN (Reuters) -The Cape Town marathon was cancelled on Sunday after high winds caused safety concerns for runners, a blow to organisers who were hoping the event would become an elite Abbott World Marathon Majors race.

A 10km (six miles) street race and several trail runs linked to the event went ahead on Saturday, but the marathon was cancelled by organisers early on Sunday morning after structures at the start and finish lines were blown over by fierce winds, leaving a record field of 24,000 runners disappointed.

“The Cape Town marathon is devastated at the cancellation of our very special event,” race CEO Clark Gardner said in a statement.

“We have worked for months on planning for all scenarios and conditions, but ultimately a bigger force had the final say, and we are so sorry for the situation.”

Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said the city was desperately disappointed, but “grateful for the event organisers and authorities for taking a decision with runners’ safety in mind”.

“The City of Cape Town is committed to hosting events of the highest global standards, and that includes sometimes managing difficult calls like this one,” he said.

This year’s event was due to be the final step towards joining the prestigious World Marathon Majors alongside iconic races in London, New York, Boston, Chicago, Berlin, Sydney and Tokyo.

In 2024, the race cleared Stage 1 of a multi-year assessment, which evaluates everything from race-day operations and the experience for participants to the calibre of the elite field of runners, who earn points based on their performances and compete for overall series titles.

The 2025 race was the final stage of the assessment. Joining the series is projected by authorities to bring more than 20,000 international visitors each year, providing a significant boost to the local economy.

(Reporting by Nick Said; Editing by Michael Perry)