The way forward for the Two Oceans Marathon is in severe doubt after the Metropolis of Cape City pulled its sponsorship of the occasion following numerous flagrant contraventions of circumstances by the organisers of this 12 months’s race.
Organisers have been on the receiving finish of extra criticism this 12 months – as is seemingly the case yearly – as runners took to social media of their droves to vent their unhappiness and frustration.
Runners lashed out on the organisers for – amongst many different issues – surprising (learn: no) communication pre-race, a scarcity of ample markings on the path race, goodie baggage hardly price taking residence, a scarcity of water tables throughout the race and working out of medals for finishers.
‘Lie’
Race director Hilton Kearns is on document as saying they ‘overcompensated in predicting the variety of silver medallists they anticipated and didn’t have sufficient bronze medals’.
This was confirmed to be a lie by well-known South African runner and blogger, Stuart Mann, who, writing on his weblog ‘The Operating Mann‘ this week uncovered the newest untruth.
Mann ran the numbers and the proportion of silver medallists within the Two Oceans Half Marathon has been the identical for the final three years: 1.3%.
A mere 234 runners earned silver medals, whereas 17 443 runners earned bronze this 12 months.
The actual motive the race ran out of 1000’s of bronze medals was the actual fact they accepted – and took fee for – extra entries than they have been allowed by the Metropolis of Cape City.
In the meantime, in line with Two Oceans chairperson Toni Cavanagh, the race has struggled to rope in sufficient sponsors since rising from the Covid pandemic a couple of years in the past.
Whereas they appreciated the assist from present headline sponsor Totalsports – and the runners who paid entry charges – they’re falling wanting the claimed practically R27 million required to organise the occasion.
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Within the irony of all ironies, simply two quick years in the past previous to taking on as Two Oceans chairperson, Cavanagh took to social media to slate the race organisers following her ‘fudging ridiculous’ expertise at race assortment again in 2023.
Letter from attorneys
The South African web site has in its possession a letter of demand to stop and desist from the Two Oceans Marathon NPC and Toni Cavanagh despatched to Mann on Wednesday.
The South African web site additionally has it on good authority that Mann plans to neither stop nor desist from exposing the reality.
Metropolis of Cape City response
It seems clear that the Metropolis of Cape City is siding with Mann – and the reality.
In a response despatched to The South African web site on Thursday, the Metropolis confirmed: ‘Following the Two Oceans Half Marathon on Sunday, 6 April 2025, the Metropolis of Cape City’s Occasions Allowing Workplace found that the Two Oceans Marathon race administration allowed extra members to participate within the half marathon than what was authorised within the official allow.
‘The Two Oceans Marathon race administration contravened circumstances of its allow and subsequently the Occasions By-Legislation by permitting greater than the permitted variety of runners to participate.
‘It is a full disregard of the months of labor behind the scenes to plan the logistics and security measures in place across the occasion.
‘The contravention of stipulated allow circumstances locations in danger the protection of individuals participating in occasions.
‘The sponsorship settlement between the Metropolis of Cape City and the settlement between the Metropolis and the Two Oceans Marathon NPC is obvious that any breach of allow will consequence within the municipality pulling sponsorship of the occasion.
‘The Two Oceans Marathon NPC was notified of the Metropolis’s determination withdraw assist on 10 April 2025.
‘The Metropolis gives assist in sort within the type of municipal providers which help within the occasion security and logistics planning for the Two Oceans Marathon.
‘The Metropolis’s actions pertain particularly to its sponsorship of the Two Oceans Marathon – the Occasion Organiser can proceed to use for permits by the traditional channels, as they’re required to do in any occasion – no matter Metropolis sponsorship.’
How may the race go forward?
Fairly how the Two Oceans Marathon plans on holding an occasion with out the sponsorship of the Metropolis of Cape City stays to be seen, contemplating the dearth of funding alluded to by the organisers themselves.
Whether or not every other sponsors want to come on board and be related to the race and its present Board stays to be seen.
As well as, race founder Celtic Harriers (a membership which nonetheless receives royalties from the Two Oceans model, however is now not concerned within the organisation) has mentioned it desires to satisfy with the Two Oceans board out of concern for the way forward for the race.
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