Marathon great Eliud Kipchoge has arrived in Cape Town ahead of the 2026 Sanlam Cape Town Marathon, where he is set to make history by competing in his first-ever official marathon race on African soil.
The Kenyan legend received a hero’s welcome at Cape Town International Airport on Tuesday, with city officials, race organisers and members of the media gathering to welcome one of the greatest distance runners of all time.
Kipchoge’s participation has added global attention to the event, which continues to grow in stature as it pushes for inclusion among the Abbott World Marathon Majors alongside London, Berlin, New York and Tokyo.
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Marathon great Eliud Kipchoge set for first-ever marathon race on African soil
Despite his decorated career, which includes multiple Olympic titles and a former marathon world record, the 41-year-old has never before lined up for a full marathon in Africa ; a fact that makes Sunday’s race particularly significant.
“Africa is where my journey as a runner began, and where the foundation of my success is deeply rooted,” Kipchoge said upon arrival. “To start this World Tour in Cape Town is very special. It is about celebrating the strength of African running and inspiring the next generation.”
He added: “Also, to race my first ever marathon on the African continent holds deep meaning for me, and I cannot wait.”
Kipchoge also expressed his admiration for Cape Town’s sporting culture and the passion of local running fans, saying he looks forward to experiencing the atmosphere along the route.
“I know South Africa is a really sporting nation, but I want to make more and more South Africans run. Above all, I want to run a beautiful race with all 27,000 people who have registered to participate in the marathon. It will be a beautiful day, it will be a historic day for all of us , to assemble as Africans and run together,go through the finishing line, and make Cape Town a World Major Marathon.”
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The Cape Town Marathon will serve as the opening stop of Kipchoge’s ambitious “Eliud’s Running World” project, in which he plans to compete in seven marathons across seven continents over the next two years.
Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis described Kipchoge’s arrival as a major moment for the city’s sporting ambitions.
“What an honour it is to welcome marathon royalty and arguably the greatest runner of all time to Cape Town for the 2026 edition of the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon,” he said.
“As we look to secure this incredible race’s status as an Abott World Marathon Majors event , we are immensely proud that Eliud has also chosen it as the first marathon in his seven-continent challenge.” he added.
Race CEO Clark Gardner also praised Kipchoge’s influence on the event’s growth.
“It’s amazing having the GOAT arrive in Cape Town for the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon, as he’s the one who inspired us to aspire to having an Abbott World Marathon Major.He was a pioneer of African excellence in road running and that paved the way for us to chase an Abott World Marathon Majors candidacy,” Gardner said.
This year’s race is expected to attract more than 27,000 marathon runners, with a total of 44,500 participants across all distances, making it one of the biggest road running events ever staged on the African continent.
All eyes will now turn to Sunday, where Kipchoge is set to add another historic chapter to his legendary career.
Kipchoge will line up in one of the strongest fields ever assembled for an African marathon, with both the men’s and women’s course records very much under threat from the star-studded line-up.
To break those records, the winning man will need to cross the line in less than 2:08:16, the time by posted by 2024 winner Abdisa Tola of Ethiopia. The women will need to beat Glenrose Xaba’s South African Record 2:22:22, run that same year.
A 2:08 finish is still well within 41-year-old Kipchoge’s reach. In 2018 he broke the World Record for the first time, when he ran 2:01:39 in Berlin to shatter the previous record by 1 minute and 18 seconds.
A year later, he shot to international fame when he clocked 1:59:40 in the INEOS Challenge in Vienna, which did not qualify as a World Record, but showed the world that the two-hour barrier in the marathon could be beaten.
Then in 2022, again in Berlin, he took his own World Record down to 2:01:09. (The World Record is now 1:59:30, set by another Kenyan, Sabastian Sawe, in the London Marathon on 26 April 2026, becoming the first man to officially run a sub-2-hour marathon.)