Written by: Badr Ahmed
Cape Town witnessed a remarkable sporting event with the conclusion of the Cape Town Marathon, which captivated attention by setting new records and featuring a select group of the world's most prominent long-distance runners, led by Kenyan legend Eliud Kipchoge.
A new record time gives Mohamed Issa the Cape Town Marathon crown
Ethiopian runner Mohammed Essa won the men's race title after delivering an exceptional performance, finishing with a record time of 2 hours, 4 minutes and 55 seconds, thus recording the fastest time for a marathon held on African soil.
This achievement confirms the rising status of Ethiopian runners in global endurance races, especially given the strong competition witnessed in this year's race.
Ethiopian Yehonelen Adane finished second with a time of 2 hours, 4 minutes and 59 seconds, while Kenyan Kalybus Lumwai came in third with a time of 2 hours, 5 minutes and 6 seconds, both achieving their best personal times in their sporting careers.
Following the end of the race, Mohamed Issa expressed his great happiness with this achievement, stressing that winning in Africa has a special character for him. He also expressed his pride in competing alongside Kipchoge, whom he described as his role model in the world of marathons.
The Ethiopian runner praised the crowd organization and the route, considering that the special atmosphere contributed to achieving this record.
In contrast, Kipchoge, a two-time Olympic champion and one of the greatest marathon runners in history, was unable to keep up with the pace of the race, finishing in sixteenth place, a considerable distance behind the leaders, in a surprising result for his fans and admirers.
In the women's race, Ethiopia continued its dominance after runner Dera Dede Yami won the title with a time of 2 hours, 23 minutes and 18 seconds, ahead of her compatriots Mestawet Fikre and Wagnesh Mekacha.
Race organizers hope that this year’s edition will represent the final step towards the Cape Town Marathon joining the list of major international marathons by 2027, alongside London, New York, Boston, Chicago, Berlin, Sydney and Tokyo, especially after the organizational and technical success achieved by the current edition following the cancellation of the 2025 edition due to strong winds.
