Hot on the (w)heels of the Cape Town Cycle Tour, this weekend sees the Two Oceans Marathon take to the streets of Cape Town, with thousands of runners set to pound the pavements of the Mother City on both Saturday (April 5) and Sunday (April 6).
The Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon is one of South Africa's most famous road races, and is often dubbed 'The World's Most Beautiful Marathon'. It's not hard to agree with that!
But in truth, the Two Oceans is far more than just one marathon. The weekend event features two main races: a grueling 56km Ultra Marathon and a 21.1km Half Marathon, both of which draw thousands of local and international runners.
Both races start on Main Road, Newlands, outside Newlands Swimming Pool. The Ultra Marathon (Saturday, April 5) winds along Main Road through the southern suburbs and along the False Bay coast, then hooks a right into Noordhoek and over the legendary Chapman's Peak Drive before winding through Hout Bay and over Constantia Nek to end at the University of Cape Town.
The Half Marathon is almost as scenic and incredibly popular. Its route runs through Constantia – including the dreaded climb up Southern Cross Drive – and Newlands to end at the UCT Upper Campus. In recent years, two popular trail runs have been added across the slopes of Table Mountain.
But with plenty of runners on the road, that can only mean one thing: road closures. To allow the event to take place without a hitch, there will be extensive road closures across the city this weekend, so plan your travels accordingly. Here are the main closures and what to expect:
SATURDAY APRIL 5 – ULTRA MARATHON
- Chapman's Peak Drive: Fully closed from 03:30 to 10:30.
- Main Road (Newlands to Muizenberg): Closed from 03:30 to 07:45.
- Main Road (Muizenberg to Fish Hoek): Closed from 05:45 to 08:30. Use Ou Kaapse Weg (Stop/Go in place).
- Kommetjie Rd & Sun Valley: Multiple local roads closed 06:00 to 09:00.
- Hout Bay to Constantia Nek: Hout Bay Main Rd and Hout Bay Rd closed or partially closed 07:00 to 11:30.
- Rhodes Drive to M3: Rhodes Drive, M3 left lane, and Princess Anne Ave closed 07:00 to 13:00.
If you need to get to the southern peninsula in the morning use detours via Ou Kaapse Weg, which will remain open, but may have delays.
SUNDAY APRIL 6 – HALF MARATHON
- Main Road (Newlands to Claremont): Closed 03:30–07:30.
- M3 Southbound (Princess Anne Ave to Kendal Rd): Closed 06:00–08:15.
- Southern Suburbs: Expect closures on Spaanschemat River Rd, Ladies Mile, Constantia Main Rd, and Southern Cross Drive between 06:00 and 09:45.
- Rhodes Drive: Fully closed between 06:45 and 10:15.
Our advice? Avoid these areas during the morning... or park your car and get out to support the runners with a bit of geese . Events like these make Cape Town such a lekker place for locals and tourists!
Also note that there will also be restricted access in and around the DHL Cape Town Stadium from Wednesday (April 2, 2025) until Saturday due to the Two Oceans Marathon Expo and registration.
Sound like too much effort? Take a walk on the wine side…