Eliud Kipchoge Runs His First Official Marathon in Africa This Weekend — Cape Town Awaits the GOAT

Eliud Kipchoge arrived in Cape Town this week to a hero's welcome at the international airport, greeted by city officials, race organizers, and a phalanid of cameras. On Sunday, May 24, he will toe the line at the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon alongside 27,000 other runners — but this is no ordinary race for the greatest marathoner of all time.

It will be Kipchoge's first official marathon on African soil, despite a two-decade career that includes two Olympic golds, two world records, and victories in Berlin, London, Chicago, and Tokyo. And it marks the beginning of "Eliud's World Tour," an ambitious plan to run marathons on all seven continents over the next two years, with the goal of inspiring a global running movement and raising one million dollars for his foundation.

Why Cape Town, why now

Kipchoge has run marathons on nearly every major stage. But Africa — the continent where his journey began, where he trained in the high-altitude town of Kaptagat, where he became a symbol of what disciplined excellence can achieve — has never hosted him in a competitive marathon.

"Africa is where my journey as a runner began and where the foundation of my success is deeply rooted," Kipchoge said upon arrival. "To start this World Tour in Cape Town is very special. It is about celebrating the strength of African running and inspiring the next generation."

The timing is significant for Cape Town, too. The race is in the final stages of evaluation to become the eighth Abbott World Marathon Major — the first on African soil. If it passes the Stage 2 review in May, Cape Town will join Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York in the sport's most prestigious series.

Kipchoge completed his Six Star medal (awarded to finishers of the original six Majors) at the 2025 New York City Marathon. If Cape Town is granted Major status, and if he finishes on Sunday, he will become the first person in history to hold eight stars — a fitting achievement for a man who has spent his career redefining what is possible.

A race with global stakes

More than 27,000 marathon runners are registered for Sunday's race, a testament to the event's rapid growth. The course has been redesigned this year to accommodate the massive field and to optimize for faster times. Portions run on the Formula 1 Grand Prix track, and recent changes have flattened a challenging elevation gain at the 36-kilometer mark.

Kipchoge's personal best is 2:01:09, set in Berlin in 2022 when he broke his own world record (the record now stands at 1:59:30, set by Kenya's Sabastian Sawe in London in April 2026). While Sunday's race is not about chasing time, Kipchoge has said he hopes to run "a beautiful race" and help Cape Town achieve its Major status dream.

Paul Tergat, Kenya's former marathon great, told Olympics.com he supports Kipchoge's decision to keep racing into his 40s. "I'm happy that Kipchoge has that idea, he still wants to inspire others not to be number one, but to stay active in sports and remain relevant by giving back to the sport," Tergat said.

What's next on the world tour

After Cape Town, Kipchoge heads to Porto Alegre, Brazil, on July 12 — the city where he won Olympic gold in 2016. His winning time of 2:08:44 remains the fastest marathon ever run on Brazilian soil. Melbourne, Australia, is scheduled for October 11. The tour will eventually take him to Asia, Europe, and North America, with a final marathon planned in Antarctica to complete the seven-continent challenge.

The tour is not just about running. Kipchoge plans to meet local running communities, engage in educational outreach, and raise funds for the Eliud Kipchoge Foundation, which focuses on environmental protection and access to education in underserved regions.

Africa's participatory running gap

Kipchoge's presence in Cape Town also highlights a broader reality: Africa dominates elite marathon running but lags far behind in participatory marathon culture. Of the 4,561 people who have earned Seven Star status by completing all current Majors, just 57 are from Africa — 1.3% of the total, from a continent of 1.4 billion people.

Kenya and Ethiopia produce the majority of the world's fastest marathoners, yet the infrastructure, accessibility, and cultural momentum that create mass participation events has largely happened elsewhere. Cape Town's candidacy for Major status is a chance to shift that — to bring the participatory marathon movement to the continent that has always been at the center of the sport's competitive soul.

Clark Gardner, CEO of the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon, said welcoming Kipchoge carries "deep significance for the race and for the continent. Eliud represents the very best of what running can inspire. To see him race our streets, meet our communities and engage with young runners across the city will be incredibly powerful."

The race to watch

The Cape Town Marathon airs live on the official YouTube channel starting at 8:00 a.m. South African Standard Time on Sunday, May 24. SuperSport will broadcast across Africa, including in Kenya at 9:00 a.m. local time. For diaspora viewers in North America, the race starts at 2:00 a.m. Eastern Time, 11:00 p.m. Saturday Pacific.

Kipchoge will run with a bib like everyone else, no pacers, no special treatment — just the man, the road, and 42.195 kilometers. At 41, he is no longer chasing world records. He is chasing meaning: the chance to inspire, to give back, and to remind the world that running belongs to everyone, everywhere.

"Above all, I want to run a beautiful race with all 27,000 people who have registered to participate in the marathon," he said. "It will be a beautiful day, it will be a historic day for all of us, to assemble as Africans and run together, go through the finishing line, and make Cape Town a World Major Marathon."

Reporting drawn from Olympics.com, Cape Town Marathon Official Site, Marathon Handbook, InboundSA, Olympics.com, Abbott World Marathon Majors.