Cape Town International Airport witnessed scenes of pure running royalty on tuesday as Eliud Kipchoge, the double Olympic champion, two-time world record-breaker, and the first human to crack the two-hour marathon barrier, stepped onto South African soil ahead of the 2026 Sanlam Cape Town Marathon. This will be Kipchoge’s first official marathon race on African soil, and he’s chosen Cape Town as the launch pad for his ambitious “Eliud’s Running World” tour.

The Kenyan legend’s arrival marks a watershed moment for African distance running. Over the next two years, Kipchoge will tackle seven marathons across all seven continents, spreading his gospel of health and unity through running. But it all begins here, in the Mother City, on Sunday 24 May.

A homecoming like no other

The welcome befitted marathoning royalty. Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis, Sanlam Cape Town Marathon CEO Clark Gardner, the event organising team from Faces, and a swarm of media greeted the 41-year-old superstar at arrivals. Kipchoge’s trademark smile beamed as he addressed the significance of starting this global odyssey on African tarmac.

“Africa is where my journey as a runner began, and where the foundation of my success is deeply rooted. To start this World Tour in Cape Town is very special,” Kipchoge explained. “It is about celebrating the strength of African running and inspiring the next generation. Also, to race my first ever marathon on the African continent holds deep meaning for me, and I cannot wait!”

Despite conquering every major marathon on the planet, Berlin, London, Chicago, Tokyo, and setting world records that have redefined human possibility, Kipchoge has never raced an official marathon on his home continent. Until now.

“I know South Africa is a really sporting nation, but I want to make more and more South Africans run,” he continued. “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.”

The major pursuit

The Sanlam Cape Town Marathon has rapidly established itself as Africa’s premier 42.2km test and currently holds candidacy status for the Abbott World Marathon Majors, the sport’s most exclusive club, featuring New York, London, Berlin, Boston, Chicago, and Tokyo.

Securing Major status would create a seismic shift in the global running landscape, giving African athletes a world-class stage on home soil and placing the Mother City alongside the planet’s most iconic marathoning destinations.

Mayor Hill-Lewis grasped the moment’s significance: “What an honour it is to welcome marathon royalty and arguably the greatest runner of all time to Cape Town for the 2026 instalment of the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon. As we look to secure this incredible race’s status as an Abbott World Marathon Majors event, we are immensely proud that Eliud has also chosen it as the first marathon in his seven-continent challenge.”

Gardner echoed those sentiments, calling Kipchoge “the GOAT” and acknowledging his pioneering role in African road running excellence. “He was a pioneer of African excellence in road running, and that paved the way for us to chase an Abbott World Marathon Majors candidacy.”

A star-studded battlefield

Whilst Kipchoge’s presence dominates the narrative, Sunday’s race features one of the strongest elite fields ever assembled for an African marathon. Both course records stand in serious jeopardy.

The men’s mark to beat is 2:08:16, posted by Ethiopia’s Abdisa Tola in 2024. The women’s target is Glenrose Xaba’s South African record of 2:22:22, set that same year. With world-class talent lining up alongside Kipchoge, race day could witness multiple record attempts.

Can the 41-year-old Kenyan legend still challenge the men’s course record? Absolutely. His CV speaks for itself: a 2:01:39 world record in Berlin (2018), the mind-bending 1:59:40 INEOS Challenge performance in Vienna (2019), and another world record of 2:01:09 in Berlin (2022). Though another Kenyan, Sabastian Sawe, pushed the official world record to 1:59:30 at the London Marathon on 26 April 2026, becoming the first man to officially break two hours, Kipchoge remains comfortably capable of running sub-2:08.

A movement, not just a race

The numbers surrounding Sunday’s event are staggering. The marathon field alone boasts 27,000 runners, whilst the accompanying weekend events, the 10km and 5km Peace Runs, plus the Cape Town Trail Marathon, 22km and 11km trail runs on Saturday 23 May, bring another 17,500 participants. That’s a combined field of 44,500 athletes, making it one of the largest running festivals on the African continent.

Kipchoge sees beyond the immediate race, envisioning an even grander future. “Cape Town is a beautiful city, and I hope on Sunday it will be a beautiful race, whereby we bring all the people out to run in the streets. I want to help grow this event to 60,000 participants, and help it become a Major. As an African, I’m rooting for it, I’m pushing for it. We don’t have a Major marathon in Africa yet, but this is a growing continent, and it’s our time as Africans to have Cape Town as one of the World Majors.”

Gardner framed Kipchoge’s participation within the marathon’s broader mission: “The Sanlam Cape Town Marathon believes deeply in celebrating African excellence and inspiring new possibilities across the continent, and welcoming the greatest marathon runner in history to race the streets of Cape Town marks an important milestone in that pursuit. Eliud represents the very best of what running can inspire, and moments like this remind us what is possible when the world’s greatest athletes connect with the places and people that shape the sport.”

As the Mother City counts down to Sunday, the anticipation is electric. Kipchoge isn’t just running a marathon, he’s writing another chapter in African sporting history, one stride at a time.