EDITORS NOTES
The Old Mutual Two Oceans Ultra Marathon has been consistently voted in a number of our surveys as a well organised and well-presented event. Over the last years it achieved distinction as one of South Africa’s top quality races.
Race Number Collection: The registration venue of the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon Expo is at the CTICC, Convention Square, 1 Lower Long Street, Cape Town. Detailed instructions will be emailed out with the race acknowledgement during March 2017.
Exhibition: With over 100 exhibitors, the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon Expo has become much more than just a running exhibition. It now includes top sporting brands, apparel, supplements, outdoor adventure sports and sporting tours, to name just a few. With its exciting atmosphere leading up to the ‘world’s most beautiful marathon’, the Expo is a great visit for family and friends.
Seeding: All 2016 gold and silver medallists will be seeded in Group A. Runners wearing Blue and Yellow numbers will be seeded in the C group unless they qualify for a higher group. Runners who post a 03:00 marathon qualifier time and silver medallists from 2016 are entitled to preferential seeding. The rest of the field is seeded according to their qualifying race time.
General: This dramatic race has had its fair share of surprises. In 1976 Vincent Rakabaele beat the Comrades Marathon king, Alan Robb by a mere six seconds in a winning time of 03:18:05. This excitement was to be repeated in 1983 when Siphiwe Gqele beat Warwick Ewers by a margin of only four seconds. A young runner who had been stamping his authority on the famous Comrades Marathon since 1981, Bruce Fordyce, finished fourth in that race in a time of 03:14:02. An outstanding run in 1988 by Thompson Magawana lowered the record to 03:03:44. This must surely go down as one of the greatest ultra distance runs of all time, given the severity of the route. In the millennium year, Joshua Peterson narrowly beat Vladimir Kotov, a veteran from Belarus, by a mere eight seconds. Frith van der Merwe’s run in 1989 was an equally outstanding run when she set a new route record of 03:30:36. To date, the men’s and women’s route records have stood the test of time.
The race is run from gun mat. Runners who have not reached the following marks in the time specified will not be allowed to continue:
Chapman's Peak Route
28 kilometres at 10h00 - Main Road, Noordhoek
42.2 kilometres at 11h50 - outside Four Seasons Hotel in Hout Bay
56 kilometres at 13h30 – Finish Grounds at UCT
Just over a quarter of the field finish between 11h50 and 12h20 and 39% finish in the last hour. The averages indicate an 85% chance of finishing, with 3% of the field achieving silver glory, by far the most difficult ultra silver earned in South Africa. The following percentages indicate which medal is earned on the day: 16% Sainsbury, 41% Bronze and 40% Blue.
The Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon is certainly popular with out-of-towners, with 72% of the field coming from outside the Western Province. Gauteng participants make up 25% of the field, and KwaZulu-Natal 6%. In this race, the up-country runners appreciate the support of the thousands of locals who give enthusiastic encouragement along the entire route. In 2016, some 36% of the field ran the Two Oceans Marathon for the first time. Women are running this race in ever increasing numbers. In 1986, only 6% of the field were women; in 2016 this number had increased to 29%.
The event organisers regularly promote the race overseas with the intention of attracting top class runners to South Africa. It is their commitment to grow the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon to be the premier Ultra Marathon in Africa. In 2016, there were 1,147 international runners from 64 countries. The biggest contingent of international runners was from the Germany and was followed closely by United Kingdom and then the USA. Many of these runners have indicated that they will be back. The race will be run for the 48th time in 2017.
2007 saw the introduction of the Two Oceans International Friendship Run. All international entrants are invited to meet at the V&A Waterfront on Good Friday morning, 14 April 2017 at 09h30 for a scenic run/walk through Cape Town, taking in historical landmarks and key points of interest. Participants jog with the flag of their respective country. Friends and family of international entrants may enter for a fee of R200.
All runners are required to wear a RaceTec timing chip during the race: no chip, no results. Permanent numbers will be awarded to all runners who have completed 10, 20, 30 and 40 races within the time limit. The Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon is televised live on SABC 2 with a 60-minute highlight package aired at a later stage. The Two Oceans Marathon is a runner's race and the experience of a lifetime. It is a definite personal favourite.
Visit www.twooceansmarathon.org.za, the official Two Oceans Marathon website for more information.
Time Limit: 07:00
Finishers: 9065
ACCOMODATION