CAPE TOWN – The 2026 Absa Run Your City Cape Town 10K, which was scheduled to take place on Sunday, 10 May, has been cancelled due to expected severe weather.

The South African Weather Service issued an Orange Level 6 weather warning on Friday for disruptive rainfall and flooding across the City of Cape Town, West Coast, Cape Winelands and western Overberg districts from Sunday to Tuesday.

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In a statement, the organisers said that after consulting with City of Cape Town authorities, local authorities and the appointed safety officials, they had taken the decision to cancel the event.

Not taken lightly

Dezroy Poole, race director, said the operations team had been closely monitoring the weather predictions in the lead-up to the race weekend.

“This decision was not taken lightly, especially considering the anticipation surrounding the event and the commitment shown by our runners, sponsors and partners. However, under the expected conditions, we could not guarantee a safe and enjoyable race experience for all involved. We extend our sincere appreciation to every stakeholder for their understanding and ongoing support of the Absa Run Your City series,” he said.

Leonora DeSouza-Zilwa, director of events and film at the City, said that with severe weather warnings issued for Cape Town this weekend posing a serious safety risk to participants and affecting public infrastructure, mobility, essential services and the safety of all stakeholders, responsible decision-making was critical.

Refund offered

The statement said that Absa had taken the decision to offer participants a choice between a full refund and free entry to the 2027 Absa Run Your City Cape Town 10K.

Sydney Mbhele, group chief marketing and corporate affairs officer at Absa, said that the safety of participants and the broader community remained the primary consideration throughout the decision-making process.

“While we share in the disappointment of thousands of runners who were looking forward to this event, safety had to come first. The decision to cancel was not an easy one,” said Mbhele.

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