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Record prize money up for grabs as Cape Town Marathon field is unveiled
Reading Time: 2min | Fri. 27.03.26. | 16:12
The race will look to achieve its second evaluation pass in 2026, and becomes Africa’s first Marathon Major
Marathon legend Eliud Kipchoge will headline a bunch of Kenyan elite athletes as they chase record prize money at this year’s Cape Town Marathon scheduled for Sunday, 24 May.
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Kipchoge, as announced earlier this month, will make his first appearance in the race as part one of his “Eliud’s Running World” project, a global tour poised to see him run seven marathons across the seven continents.
The 41-year-old will be the fastest on the men’s elite field released on Wednesday, 25 March, which also includes a number of Kenyans looking to take aim at the new winner’s cash prize worth Ksh4,544,050.
The race organizers on Wednesday announced its biggest prize purse for all race categories, significantly increasing the total prize purse for the marathon top 10 and age group contenders (male and female combined), by just over 40% to R3,598,000 (Ksh27,349,070).
In addition to the increased prize for the winner, other incentives exist, such as a Ksh2,596,600 reward for breaking the event course record, and an extra R250,000 (Ksh1,900,296) for a new World Record.
Apart from Kipchoge, other Kenyans in the elite men’s race gunning for that cash prize include: Stephen Kiprop, Bernard Biwott, Leonard Langat, Kalipus Lomwai and Augustine Choge.
Kiprop, a fourth place finisher at the 2024 Berlin Marathon, comes in as the second-fastest man on the field, carrying a Personal Best (PB) time of 2:03.37.
Biwott, on the other hand, is fourth on the list, with a PB of 2:05.25 set at the Paris Marathon last year.
Boasting of bridging together the deepest, fastest field ever assembled for an African marathon, this year’s edition will see athletes who complete the race awarded provisional finisher’s stars, which will then be officially recognised if Cape Town achieves its second evaluation pass in 2026, and becomes Africa’s first World Major.
The course record to aim at for the men will be the 2:08.16 set by Ethiopia’s Abdisa Tola in 2024.
As for the women’s race, the charge for the finish line and the 2:22.22 course record held by South Africa’s Glenrose Xaba will be spearheaded by Kenya’s evergreen runner Edna Kiplagat.
Kiplagat, 47, comes into the deep field with a PB of 2:19.50 she set in London 14 years ago, and will have to deal with a host of worthy challengers including: Israeli’s Lonah Salpeter, and the Ethiopian trio of Ruti Aga, Dera Dida and Mestawat Fikir.
Other Kenyans in the elite list will be: Vibian Chepkirui, Mercy Kwambai, Leah Cheruto and Cynthia Jerotich Limo.
More than 27,000 runners are expected to take part in the event.
