Bid fails to silence blogger's running reviews of Two Oceans Marathon

THE Gauteng High Court has dismissed an urgent application aimed at silencing a runner and blogger who has raised concerns about irregularities in major races, specifically the Two Oceans Marathon.

- ZELDA VENTER

The ruling underscored the tensions between race management and public accountability in the running community.

Antoinette Cavanagh, the chairperson of the marathon, who approached the court for relief, and directed her application at Stuart Mann, the author behind the blog, The Running Mann, who has drawn attention to what he describes as “irregularities” in various running events, including the Two Oceans and the renowned Comrades Marathon.

In court, Cavanagh claimed that Mann’s online commentary contained defamatory statements, particularly focusing on four posts he had shared on social media.

Among them was a December article questioning her suitability to chair the board of the Two Oceans, which highlighted discrepancies between the credentials she publicly presented and those Mann verified.

In his December 2025 “expose”, Mann queries whether Cavanagh is an appropriate person to chair the board of the Two Oceans.