Ethiopia's Mohamed Esa won the men's elite division at the Cape Town Marathon on Sunday, May 24, 2026, breaking the course record by more than three minutes.
Esa finished in 2:04:55, surpassing the previous record of 2:08:16 set by Abdisa Tola in 2024.
The race featured a strong field with 13 men and eight women who had previously run faster than the historic course times.
Kenyan legend Eliud Kipchoge, a two-time Olympic champion, crossed the line in 2:13:29 to place 16th, marking the start of his global campaign to run marathons on all seven continents over two years.
Approximately 27,000 participants competed as organizers push for the race to join the Abbott World Marathon Majors series by 2027.
Esa's Home Continent Triumph
Esa's victory came just over a month after his last major race, securing a memorable win on African soil.
"Thanks to the race organisers for giving me the chance to run on my home continent. To break the course record is special for me," Esa said.
He added, "Eliud is my role model, I respect him so much. I was proud to race with him in Africa."
Esa noted the cultural impact of competing alongside international stars in South Africa, saying, "I was very proud to race with him in Africa, in our homeland.
I was very happy to finish together and show the world we are the same family."
Kipchoge's World Tour Begins
Kipchoge described the Cape Town race as a celebration of running, supported by thousands of fans.
"Today was a celebration of running on this beautiful course, supported by thousands of incredible fans singing and making music along the route," he said.
"You all made our first stop on the tour one we'll never forget.
I'm proud to begin our world tour in Africa and to run my first-ever marathon on home soil.
It was the perfect start."
According to his official website, Kipchoge aims to promote global health and community unity through the tour.
The event entered its final World Marathon Majors candidacy assessment phase this year after high winds forced cancellation of the 2025 edition 90 minutes before its start.
In the women's elite division, Dera Dida Yami secured an Ethiopian double by winning in 2:23:18, ahead of compatriots Mestawut Fikir and Waganesh Mekasha.
Kipchoge's time of 2:13:29 improved on his previous marathon at the New York City Marathon on November 2, 2025, where he placed 17th with 2:14:36.
The next leg of his world tour is the Porto Alegre Marathon in Brazil on July 12, followed by the Melbourne Marathon in Australia on October 11.
