Tough decision to can marathon may have saved lives

Runners refuse to accept organisers' storm 'excuse'

- Kgomotso Mokoena

As an avid, social runner who has two full 42,2km Soweto Marathon medals, with a finishing time that will remain classified information for eternity, I could not help but feel sorry for the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon runners after the annual race was cancelled a few hours before the start last Sunday morning.

Runners are still frothing at the mouth even to this day. With that kind anguish, rage was running through their veins, and the 24000-strong army of entrants could have overran the Mother City down, so to speak.

The more the explanations came from the organisers, the more frustrated and irritated they became.

Severe winds and the risk to the safety of the runners were forwarded as the main excuse, but they were having none of that.

You have to understand their fury; they spent thousands of rands, only to be told a few minutes before the start that the opportunity to run the 2025 edition of the now iconic marathon had turned into a nightmare.