Reigning Cape Town Marathon champion, Asefa Negewu, will return to defend his title this year

An impressive line-up of “golden” athletes, the commitment of ASA to host the national championships in Cape Town and a revival of the Captain’s Challenge were features of the 50-day launch of the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon at a city hotel on Wednesday. While Mokoka remains the fastest in the field, boasting a marathon best of 2:07:40, he will be up against a number of talented young African runners bent on following in the footsteps of twice champion, Ethiopian Asefa Negewu, who placed 7th in the London Marathon after winning Cape Town in 2016. Notwithstanding its many other selling points, elite athletes running fast marathon times in Cape Town was the primary reason for the Cape Town Marathon receiving IAAF gold label status within just three years and the participation of IAAF gold-status athletes each year are an essential part of the retention of this status.

posted Saturday August 4th