From 35 Miles to the Half Marathon
1998The Two Oceans Marathon began as the Celtic 35 Mile Road Race in 1970 and later became the Two Oceans Marathon. The half marathon was added to the event in 1998. The 2027 race will be its 28th edition.
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Course & Elevation
The Two Oceans Half Marathon is a 21.1 km road race in Cape Town that starts on Main Road in Newlands and finishes on the University of Cape Town rugby fields in Rondebosch. It is held in April as part of the Two Oceans Marathon event week, next to the 56 km ultra marathon, a night run, an international friendship run and trail runs. The half marathon was added to the event in 1998, while the Two Oceans itself began in 1970 as the Celtic 35 Mile Road Race. The route runs through Claremont, Wynberg and Constantia and over Southern Cross Drive, then returns to Newlands before the finish on the UCT fields. The current course has been in use since 2012. Runners start in batches, and everyone has 3 hours 30 minutes to finish and be recognised as an official finisher. The organisers have raised the field to 21,000 for 2027, up from 17,000, and the 2027 race will be the 28th edition. The men's course record is 1:03:16, set by Namakoe Nkhasi of Lesotho in 2017; in 2026 Felix Kibet Masai of Kenya came within one second of it with 1:03:17. In 2027 the half marathon is scheduled for the Saturday and the ultra for the Sunday of the same weekend.
Surface: road Profile: Rolling
Weather
Typical climate for the race month — an estimate, not a forecast or a race-day record
Temperature 18°C
Humidity 65%
Rain Chance 17%
April in Cape Town is mild and fairly dry: average highs are around 24°C and lows around 12°C, with about five days of measurable rain in the month.
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The Race
Cape Town
Race Lore
One Second Short of the Record
2026In April 2026 Felix Kibet Masai of Kenya won the half marathon in 1:03:17, the fastest winning time since 2017. It was one second outside the course record of 1:03:16 that Namakoe Nkhasi of Lesotho had set nine years earlier. Masai, Shadrack Ngumbau Musyoka and Joshua Kiptegei Mengich crested Southern Cross Drive together before Masai went on to win.
A Field Larger Than the Permit
2025In 2025 the City of Cape Town issued a permit for 17,000 runners in the half marathon. According to News24, 20,600 entered and 17,677 officially crossed the finish line. The City then reconsidered how it issues permits for future editions, citing participant safety.
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Course Record
01:03:16
Namakoe Nkhasi (2017)
Registration
Entry Cost R450
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Fun Facts
- ▸ The Two Oceans began in 1970 as the Celtic 35 Mile Road Race, and the half marathon was added in 1998.
- ▸ In 2026 Felix Kibet Masai won the men's race in 1:03:17, one second outside the course record of 1:03:16 set by Namakoe Nkhasi in 2017.
- ▸ The current half marathon course has been in use since 2012.
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