2026 Cape Town Marathon Results | Mohamed Esa Smashes Course Record, Kipchoge Finishes 16th
Huseyidin Mohamed Esa ran 2:04:55 to demolish the course record at the 2026 Sanlam Cape Town Marathon. Full top-20 results for men and women, plus Kipchoge's comeback race analysis.
· 6 min read · Athletics News
The 2026 Sanlam Cape Town Marathon delivered one of the most dramatic afternoons in the race's 32-year history. Ethiopia's Huseyidin Mohamed Esa crossed the finish line in **2:04:55** - smashing the previous course record of 2:08:16 set by Abdisa Tola in 2024 by over three minutes. The women's race saw Ethiopia's Dera Dida Yami win in **2:23:18**, leading a stunning top-three Ethiopian sweep.
And then there was Eliud Kipchoge. The two-time Olympic champion, beginning what he's called his "World Tour" of major marathons, finished 16th in 2:13:29. Not a vintage Kipchoge performance, but a significant moment - the greatest marathon runner of all time returning to competition on African soil.
The race took place in Cape Town on Sunday, 24 May 2026, with around 27,000 runners lining up across all events. The 32nd edition of this AWMM candidate race drew the strongest elite field ever assembled on the course.
Men's results
The race for the win
Mohamed Esa led a blistering front pack through the early stages, and the pace never relented. The top five finished within 53 seconds of each other - all under 2:06 - which tells you just how competitive this field was. Yihunilign Adane was just four seconds back in second, and Kenyan Kalipus Lomwai took third in 2:05:06.
Maru Teferi running under the Israeli flag was a notable inclusion in the top 10, finishing 7th in 2:06:46. South Africa's Stephen Mokoka - running in the 40-49 age category - delivered a proud home performance in 13th place at 2:10:48.
Kipchoge, bib number 1, was clearly not racing at his peak. He crossed in 2:13:29 for 16th. Whether that's a fitness issue, a tactical effort on a race he treated as a warm-up for his World Tour, or just an off day, we don't know - but it's worth watching his next start closely.
Full men's top 20
| # | Athlete | Country | Time | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | 1 | Huseyidin Mohamed Esa ⭐ CR | 🇪🇹 ETH | **2:04:55** | | 2 | Yihunilign Adane | 🇪🇹 ETH | 2:04:59 | | 3 | Kalipus Lomwai | 🇰🇪 KEN | 2:05:06 | | 4 | Leonard Langat | 🇰🇪 KEN | 2:05:26 | | 5 | Jemal Yimer | 🇪🇹 ETH | 2:05:48 | | 6 | Mulugeta Uma | 🇪🇹 ETH | 2:06:19 | | 7 | Maru Teferi | 🇮🇱 ISR | 2:06:46 | | 8 | Abebaw Dessie Muniye | 🇪🇹 ETH | 2:06:57 | | 9 | Benard Kipkurui Biwott | 🇰🇪 KEN | 2:07:34 | | 10 | Justus Kipkogei Kangogo | 🇰🇪 KEN | 2:07:42 | | 11 | Kamohelo Mofolo | 🇱🇸 LES | 2:08:50 | | 12 | Isaac Mpofu | 🇿🇼 ZIM | 2:10:27 | | 13 | Stephen Mokoka | 🇿🇦 RSA | 2:10:48 | | 14 | Matlakala Bennet Seloyi | 🇿🇦 RSA | 2:12:17 | | 15 | Anthony Timoteus | 🇿🇦 RSA | 2:13:04 | | 16 | Eliud Kipchoge | 🇰🇪 KEN | 2:13:29 | | 17 | Joel Reichow | 🇺🇸 USA | 2:14:31 | | 18 | Jeremia Shaliaxwe | 🇳🇦 NAM | 2:15:18 | | 19 | Tukiso Motlomelo | 🇱🇸 LES | 2:16:30 | | 20 | Atia Koogo | 🇬🇭 GHA | 2:19:28 |
Women's results
The Ethiopian sweep
The women's race was almost untouchably fast at the front. The top three - all Ethiopian - finished within 39 seconds of each other. That kind of national depth at the front of an international marathon field is extraordinary.
Dera Dida Yami won in 2:23:18. Mestawut Fikir was only 28 seconds back in second, and Waganesh Amare completed the sweep with a 2:23:57. Kenya's Leah Cheruto was the first non-Ethiopian in 4th at 2:24:31 - a very strong run that would have won most major marathons.
The legend Edna Kiplagat - competing in the 40-49 age category - placed 5th overall in 2:25:44. At 46, Kiplagat is still finishing inside the top five at an elite international marathon. That's a career that just refuses to end gracefully, and the sport is better for it.
Full women's results
| # | Athlete | Country | Time | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | 1 | Dera Dida Yami | 🇪🇹 ETH | **2:23:18** | | 2 | Mestawut Fikir | 🇪🇹 ETH | 2:23:46 | | 3 | Waganesh Amare | 🇪🇹 ETH | 2:23:57 | | 4 | Leah Cheruto | 🇰🇪 KEN | 2:24:31 | | 5 | Edna Kiplagat | 🇰🇪 KEN | 2:25:44 | | 6 | Gojjam Enyew | 🇪🇹 ETH | 2:26:24 | | 7 | Mercy Jerop Kwambai | 🇰🇪 KEN | 2:30:36 | | 8 | Desi Jisa Mokonin | 🇧🇭 BRN | 2:30:44 | | 9 | Cynthia Jerotich Limo | 🇰🇪 KEN | 2:32:00 | | 10 | Salmi Nduviteko | 🇳🇦 NAM | 2:33:23 | | 11 | Fortunate Chidzivo | 🇿🇼 ZIM | 2:41:09 | | 12 | Ottilie Kaunapawa Aimwata | 🇳🇦 NAM | 2:42:04 | | 13 | Mosadikwena Gotswakgosi | 🇧🇼 BOT | 2:44:07 |
*Positions 14-20 and full results available at the [official Sportsplits results page](https://www.sportsplits.com/races/sanlam-cape-town-marathon-2026/events/1/).*
Wheelchair division highlights
Both wheelchair course records also fell on Sunday. Britain's **David Weir** won the men's wheelchair race in **1:30:20**, breaking the previous course record. In the women's division, Swiss legend **Manuela Schär** took the win in **1:43:25**, also a new course record. Schär has been virtually unbeatable at major marathons for years, and Cape Town is the latest event to feel that dominance.
What this result means for the race's future
The 2026 edition builds a compelling case for Cape Town's Abbott World Marathon Majors candidacy. A field that smashes the men's course record by three-plus minutes, hosts Eliud Kipchoge, draws over 27,000 participants, and runs through one of the most iconic cities in the world - that's a Major-tier race in everything but name.
The course passes through the streets of the Mother City with Table Mountain as a constant backdrop. The conditions on Sunday morning were reportedly near-perfect: still air, cool temperatures, and misty Cape Town dawn skies that have become synonymous with race day there.
What everyday runners can take from this
The gap between the elites and the masses is always instructive. Mohamed Esa's 2:04:55 works out to roughly 2:57 per kilometer. The average recreational runner finishes a marathon somewhere between 4:30 and 6:00 per km. But the principles are the same:
- Even pacing matters at every ability level. If you went out too fast in your last race, use a [race predictor](/tools/race-predictor) to set a goal time that you can actually sustain. - The top women ran 2:23 to 2:26 for the first six places. That front pack ran together - drafting, sharing the work, staying disciplined. Group running at any pace saves energy. Find your pace group and sit in. - Edna Kiplagat is 46 and just ran 2:25:44 at an elite international marathon. If you think you're too old to keep getting faster, she disagrees. Check our [run planner](/run-planner) to start building toward whatever your next goal is.
Sources
- Race website: [capetownmarathon.com](https://capetownmarathon.com/)