Kipchoge Is Finally Coming to Africa — and He’s Bringing Some Of the World’s Fastest Marathoners With Him

Eliud Kipchoge is coming to Cape Town.

The 41-year-old Kenyan, holder of the marathon world record and the only person to run the distance in under two hours, will toe the start line of the 2026 Sanlam Cape Town Marathon on Sunday, May 24 — making it his first-ever marathon on African soil in a career that spans more than two decades.

Race organizers announced the full elite field on Wednesday at a press conference hosted by Official Vehicle Partners Mercedes-Benz, with exactly 60 days to go until the gun fires. What they unveiled alongside Kipchoge is the deepest and fastest elite lineup ever assembled for any marathon on the African continent. Both course records, they say, are under serious threat.

“It is truly special for me to run my first ever marathon on African soil,” said Kipchoge. “Running has always been about unity, and I look forward to celebrating that spirit together in Cape Town.”

A Field Built to Break Records

On the men’s side, 14 athletes have run sub-2:08 in their careers, and three of them have cracked 2:05. Let that sink in. Three sub-2:05 guys, at a race that isn’t even a World Marathon Major yet.

Kipchoge leads the way with a personal best of 2:01:09 — that’s the former world record, set in Berlin in 2022. His most recent marathon (London, 2025) produced a 2:05:25, which at 41 years old is still remarkably quick. Behind him is Kenya’s Stephen Kiprop, 26, who ran 2:03:37 in Berlin last year and looks every bit like the next great marathon talent coming out of East Africa. Israel’s Maru Teferi (2:04:44) rounds out the sub-2:05 trio.

From there the field reads like a who’s who of global marathon running: South Africa’s Elroy Gelant (2:05:36 SA Record), Ethiopians Yihunilign Adane and Mulugeta Asefa Uma (both 2:05:33), and Boki Kebede Asefa (2:05:40), who was runner-up in Cape Town last year after winning the race in 2023. Stephen Mokoka, the three-time Cape Town champion, is back too. He knows this course as well as anyone alive.

The women’s race is equally compelling. Israel’s Lonah Salpeter, who ran 2:17:45 to win Tokyo in 2020, is the fastest woman in the field. A trio of Ethiopians — Ruti Aga (2:18:09), Dera Dida (2:18:32) and Mestawat Fikir (2:18:48) — will push her hard. And then there’s Edna Kiplagat.

Kiplagat is 47. Her personal best of 2:19:50 is older than some of her competitors’ professional careers. She’s a two-time World Marathon Champion and won Boston in 2017. She is, frankly, defying biology — and she’s coming to Cape Town.

Three-time World Duathlon Champion Emma Pallant-Browne, now South Africa-based, will make her marathon debut, as will former SA 10km record-holder Precious Mashele on the men’s side.

The Abbott Stars Are on the Line Too

For the roughly 27,000 runners who’ll share the road with the elites, there’s extra motivation this year. Cape Town is currently a candidate for Abbott World Marathon Majors status, and the AbbottWMM team has confirmed that finishers of the 2026 edition will receive provisional stars — which become official if the race earns its second evaluation pass this year. If it does, Cape Town becomes Africa’s first Major.

For runners chasing their Six Star Medal, provisional is still very much something.

On top of that, Cape Town is hosting the AbbottWMM Marathon Tours & Travel Age Group World Championship for the first time. Some 1,800 of the world’s best age-group marathoners — competing across five-year brackets from 40–44 all the way to 80-plus — will be racing for global titles. Add in 8,500 international participants from 102 countries, including runners from 25 African nations, and this is shaping up to be the biggest marathon weekend the continent has ever seen.

The Prize Money Got a Serious Upgrade

Organizers also announced a 37% increase in the total prize purse, which climbs from R3,554,500 to R4,862,500. Throw in record incentives and the full amount on offer reaches R6,602,500.

Winners in both the men’s and women’s races will take home $35,000, up from $25,000 in 2025. Breaking the course record earns an additional $20,000, and if anyone is feeling particularly ambitious, a new world record comes with an extra R250,000 on top of that. South African athletes have their own incentive structure, with the top three local finishers in each race earning R25,000, R12,500 and R7,500, plus a $10,000 bonus for any South African who breaks the national record.

The wheelchair field is no afterthought either. Switzerland’s Manuela Schär — who has won at every Abbott World Marathon Major — headlines the women’s race, while the men’s field includes David Weir (1:22:00), Sho Watanabe (1:24:00) and Jetze Plat (1:24:28).

“To deliver on our opportunity, we have assembled the very best marathon elite and wheelchair field the African continent has ever seen,” said Clark Gardner, CEO of the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon. “The balance of international and South African legends of the sport with the stars of the future should make for an incredible race come 24 May 2026.”

Hard to argue with that.

Full Elite Fields

Men’s Elite Field

1. Eliud Kipchoge (Kenya) — PB: 2:01:09 (Berlin, 2022) | SB: 2:05:25 (London, 2025)
2. Stephen Kiprop (Kenya) — PB: 2:03:37 (Berlin, 2024) | SB: 2:07:16 (Daegu, 2025)
3. Maru Teferi (Israel) — PB: 2:04:44 NR (Valencia, 2024) | SB: 2:09:17 (Brussels, 2025)
4. Benard Biwott (Kenya) — PB: 2:05:25 (Paris, 2025) | SB: 2:05:25 (Paris, 2025)
5. Yihunilign Adane (Ethiopia) — PB: 2:05:33 (Osaka, 2026) | SB: 2:05:33 (Osaka, 2026)
6. Mulugeta Asefa Uma (Ethiopia) — PB: 2:05:33 (Paris, 2024) | SB: 2:05:46 (Tokyo, 2025)
7. Elroy Gelant (South Africa) — PB: 2:05:36 NR (Hamburg, 2025) | SB: 2:05:36 (Hamburg, 2025)
8. Boki Kebede Asefa (Ethiopia) — PB: 2:05:40 (Amsterdam, 2024) | SB: 2:05:55 (Doha, 2026)
9. Justus Kangogo (Kenya) — PB: 2:05:57 (Berlin, 2023) | SB: 2:06:10 (Valencia, 2025)
10. Jemal Yimer Mekonen (Ethiopia) — PB: 2:06:08 (Seoul, 2024) | SB: 2:06:08 (Seoul, 2024)
11. Adane Gebre Kebede (Ethiopia) — PB: 2:06:16 (Houston, 2026) | SB: 2:06:16 (Houston, 2026)
12. Stephen Mokoka (South Africa) — PB: 2:06:42 (Osaka, 2024) | SB: 2:09:52 (Durban, 2025)
13. Isaac Mpofu (Zimbabwe) — PB: 2:06:48 NR (Valencia, 2022) | SB: 2:10:46 (Tokyo, 2025)
14. Leonard Langat (Kenya) — PB: 2:06:59 (Vienna, 2022) | SB: 2:08:04 (Toronto, 2025)
15. Abe Gashahun (Ethiopia) — PB: 2:08:35 (Riyadh, 2025) | SB: 2:08:35 (Riyadh, 2025)
16. Abebaw Muniye (Ethiopia) — PB: 2:08:38 (Riyadh, 2025) | SB: 2:09:31 (Riyadh, 2026)
17. Desmond Mokgobu (South Africa) — PB: 2:09:13 (Valencia, 2020) | SB: 1:05:04 (21.1km, Gqeberha, 2025)
18. Nadeel Wildschutt (South Africa) — PB: 2:09:30 (Marathon Project, USA, 2025) | SB: 2:09:30 (Marathon Project, USA, 2025)
19. Joel Reichow (USA) — PB: 2:09:56 (New York, 2025) | SB: 2:09:56 (New York, 2025)
20. Thabang Mosiako (South Africa) — PB: 2:10:49 (Abu Dhabi, 2025) | SB: 2:10:49 (Abu Dhabi, 2025)
21. Kalipus Lomwai (Kenya) — PB: 2:13:12 (Beirut, 2018) | SB: 59:26 (21.1km, Rome, 2025)
22. Bennett Seloyi (South Africa) — PB: 2:13:22 (Kimberley, 2025) | SB: 2:13:22 (Kimberley, 2025)
23. Tukiso Motlomelo (Lesotho) — PB: 2:17:10 (Cape Town, 2024) | SB: 1:02:54 (21.1km, Gqeberha, 2025)
24. Augustine Choge (Kenya) — PB: 2:20:53 (New York, 2021) | SB: N/A
25. Kamohelo Mofolo (Lesotho) — Marathon debut | SB: 1:00:52 (21.1km, Gqeberha, 2025)
26. Precious Mashele (South Africa) — Marathon debut | SB: 30:36 (10km, Tshwane, 2025)
27. Kane Reilly (South Africa) — Marathon debut | SB: 1:41:00 (30km, Cape Town, 2026)

Women’s Elite Field

1. Lonah Salpeter (Israel) — PB: 2:17:45 NR (Tokyo, 2020) | SB: 2:23:45 (Valencia, 2025)
2. Ruti Aga (Ethiopia) — PB: 2:18:09 (Dongying, 2023) | SB: 2:22:45 (Xiamen, 2026)
3. Dera Dida (Ethiopia) — PB: 2:18:32 (Dubai, 2025) | SB: 2:18:32 (Dubai, 2025)
4. Mestawat Fikir (Ethiopia) — PB: 2:18:48 (Berlin, 2024) | SB: 2:20:00 (Tokyo, 2026)
5. Edna Kiplagat (Kenya) — PB: 2:19:50 (London, 2012) | SB: 2:25:07 (Abu Dhabi, 2025)
6. Desi Jisa Mokonin (Bahrain) — PB: 2:20:07 (Tokyo, 2025) | SB: 2:20:07 (Tokyo, 2025)
7. Waganesh Mekasha (Ethiopia) — PB: 2:20:26 (Amsterdam, 2025) | SB: 2:20:26 (Amsterdam, 2025)
8. Vibian Chepkirui (Kenya) — PB: 2:20:59 (Vienna, 2021) | SB: 2:27:23 (Boston, 2024)
9. Shuko Genemo (Ethiopia) — PB: 2:21:35 (Barcelona, 2024) | SB: 2:27:30 (Lanzhou, 2025)
10. Mercy Kwambai (Kenya) — PB: 2:23:58 (Xiamen, 2025) | SB: 2:27:22 (Xiamen, 2026)
11. Gojjam Tsegaye (Ethiopia) — PB: 2:24:02 (Barcelona, 2025) | SB: 2:28:27 (Mumbai, 2026)
12. Leah Cheruto (Kenya) — PB: 2:24:33 (Kosice, 2025) | SB: 2:24:33 (Kosice, 2025)
13. Cynthia Jerotich Limo (Kenya) — PB: 2:24:43 (Boston, 2025) | SB: 2:24:43 (Boston, 2025)
14. Emebet Mamo Niguse (Ethiopia) — PB: 2:25:25 (Ljubljana, 2024) | SB: 2:28:03 (Hong Kong, 2025)
15. Fortunate Chidzivo (Zimbabwe) — PB: 2:33:30 (Durban, 2025) | SB: 2:33:30 (Durban, 2025)
16. Sabah Es-Seqally (Morocco) — PB: 2:34:27 (Rabat, 2024) | SB: 2:37:41 (Marrakesh, 2025)
17. Emma Pallant-Browne (Great Britain) — Marathon debut | SB: 1:12:37 (21.1km, Paris, 2026)