Two Oceans Marathon

Our coveted Blue Number Club apparel is beckoning – get the gear that says, ‘Yes, I'm in a Two Oceans Marathon league of my own’ in our TOM Merch store: www.twooceansmarathon.org.za/shop-tom-merchandise

Or let someone special choose their own items by spoiling them with a TOM Gift Card: www.twooceansmarathon.org.za/gift-cards

All links are also in our BIO

Wondering what to get the runner in your life who has everything? Introducing the 𝐓𝐎𝐌 𝐆𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐝 🎁 It's the perfect present for any runner!

Here's an easy How-to Guide to purchasing your TOM Gift Card (𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥-𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐓𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐬): www.twooceansmarathon.org.za/gift-cards

There’s a good reason you need to Update or Create your profile on the TOM Race Admin Entry System – entries are opening soon 🏃🏽‍♀️ 🏃 🏃🏽‍♀️ 🏃

Your simple step-by-step guide to updating your profile or creating one if you have never done so is here: www.twooceansmarathon.org.za/create-or-update-your-profile/

We are on hand to assist you: 📧 [email protected] | 087 133 2285

We are pleased to confirm that the 54th edition of the Two Oceans Marathon will take place on 𝟓 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝟔 𝐀𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐥 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓.

If you’re intending to run the Ultra Marathon, we look forward to hosting you on Saturday, 5 April 2025. The Half Marathon will be held on Sunday, 6 April.

Entries are opening soon – Create or Update your Profile on the TOM Race Admin Entry System: www.twooceansmarathon.org.za/create-or-update-your-profile/

The Two Oceans Marathon NPC is pleased to confirm that the South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport (SAIDS) has declared the TTOM 2024 results drug-free.

The TTOM 2024 results have accordingly been 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐝.

Log in to your profile on the TOM Race Admin System for your final result. Go to 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥/𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞 ▶️ 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐬 ▶️ 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐞.

Please report any omissions or errors to [email protected], contact the Race Office at 087 133 2285 or get in touch with Reception at 021 2000 459.

Two Oceans Marathon running community raises more than 𝐑𝟐,𝟔 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐬

In the highest amount raised for charity in a single year in the history of the Two Oceans Marathon, big-hearted runners and 4 612 donors raised over R2,6 million in the Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon 2024 via direct donations to TOMI and GivenGain, supporting more than 65 organisations and entities dedicated to various social upliftment and philanthropic endeavours.

Highest donation in the Half Marathon: 𝐑𝟏𝟏 𝟕𝟒𝟐 | Highest donation in the Ultra Marathon: 𝐑𝟏𝟎 𝟎𝟎𝟎

Celebrating these amazing individuals who went over and above to be our top overall fundraisers:
1. Francois van Coke
2. James Farara
3. Lee-ann Whitehead
4. Rebecca Gore
5. Pierre Goussard
6. Jonathan Hunter-Parsonage
7. The Powerhouse Twins B and Lil
8. Christien Durand
9. David Mogotlane
10. Louise Letman

Thanks to the mammoth combined effort of our running community and their supporters, the top charity for which funds were raised on GivenGain was 𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐜 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚, which received 𝐑𝟕𝟕𝟏 𝟗𝟕𝟖,𝟔𝟖 towards their programmes that support orphaned and vulnerable children.

In the Half Marathon Junior Category, 102 and 121 respective female and male athletes entered, with only one athlete overall not finishing the race. The fastest time in the Women’s Junior category was 01:36:52, while in the Men’s Junior category, the fastest time was 01:20:13.

𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 #𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐃𝐚𝐲:

Top 3 women in the Junior Category:
1 Chenelle Axsel
2 Zanike Breytenbach
3 Rebecca Nolan

Top 3 men in the Junior Category:
1 Rainart Behrens
2 Zach Coovadia
3 Avenathi Antoni

𝐓𝐰𝐨 𝐎𝐜𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐧 𝐍𝐏𝐂 𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐍

The Two Oceans Marathon (TOM) NPC hereby invites community outreach, charitable and philanthropic organisations to apply for funding as part of the annual Beneficiary support programme, run under the auspices of the Two Oceans Marathon Initiative (TOMI).

As the philanthropic arm of the Two Oceans Marathon, TOMI will receive and evaluate applications for funding for projects aligning with its four social impact pillars:

1. Education
2. Environmental Sustainability
3. Health and Wellness, and
4. Athletics Development.

This R223 249 in available funding has been made possible by direct donations to TOMI from runners who took part in the Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon 2024 event, at the time of entering TTOM 2024.

A further cumulative amount of R2 410 187 was raised on GivenGain during TTOM 2024, exceeding the R2 Million for Good Causes TOMI target.

These funds have already been paid to the 65 charities chosen to receive the 2 075 donations from 1 894 donors on the GivenGain platform.

𝐓𝐨 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭, 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞: https://www.twooceansmarathon.org.za/press_releases/tom-beneficiary-applications/

Registered organisations involved in demonstrable impact-based upliftment projects in any of the four TOMI pillars or fields listed above, are invited to apply for funding.

Prospective TOMI beneficiaries should return these completed application forms to [email protected] by 6pm on Friday, 28 June 2024.

These applications will be assessed by the TOM NPC TOMI Committee. The final beneficiaries will be chosen by the end of July, 2024, and informed thereafter as soon as possible.

Congratulations to our Queen Gerda Steyn, who continued her dominance of SA road-running with the most emphatic and imposing of Comrades victories! Gerda broke her own ‘up-run’ record to clinch her third Comrades Marathon title in 5:49:46, adding to her five consecutive Two Oceans Marathon titles and repeating her own record-breaking run once again at in April. What a CHAMP! 👑🥇

To all those in our amazing running community who are tackling Comrades on Sunday, wishes you all the very best!

Drop those selfies of you Conquering the Current!

𝐁𝐍𝐂 𝐅𝐎𝐂𝐔𝐒: Tumelo Thamaga from Katlehong Athletic Club − who earned his Blue Number 6360 after completing his 10th Two Oceans Ultra Marathon in − described his Two Oceans journey as a rollercoaster ride.

“Going for my 10th voyage put me under a lot of pressure to finish the race. I had to dig deep, but it has been a 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 journey. When I first started running Two Oceans, I would travel to Cape Town from Joburg by train. The train ride down took 36 hours.

“At one stage, I had to sleep at Cape Town Station because the race village didn’t open until Friday night. So, it's a rollercoaster ride that hasn’t been easy, but I am overjoyed and will be back again next year!” said Thamaga.

Well done, Thamaga!

𝐑𝐔𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐑 𝐏𝐎𝐋𝐋

What kind of social game got you to the finish line?

1. I made new running friends along the way and we’re still in touch!
2. I ran with clubmates and friends from the start – am lucky to have such a strong support circle
3. I gunned it alone – running solo is my thing

As far as leading ladies go, it doesn't get better than Lucille Damon and Sharon Bosch, who each completed their 𝟑𝟏𝐬𝐭 𝐓𝐎𝐌 𝐔𝐥𝐭𝐫𝐚 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐧 voyage in .

“I am one of two women to have completed 31 Ultras but technically I joke that I’m actually the first lady to do so, if finish times are taken into account. You can never take your health for granted, so being relatively injury-free for most of my running career has also been a huge blessing. I feel privileged to have come this far and hope to inspire others to believe in themselves for many years to come.

“I will most definitely be back next year to tackle my ‘record’. I want to continue going for as long as my health allows!” says a jubilant Sharon, who clocked in at 5:46:53.

Speaking to Lucille, who completed in 6:28:31, she says: “Cape Town is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The Two Oceans Ultra marathon, is 𝘵𝘩𝘦 most beautiful marathon in the world and the reason I’ve conquered Chapman’s Peak 31 times. Each time is epic! Why not join me next year on another amazing next voyage?”

Congratulations to these two formidable female fireballs – may they for many years to come!

𝐓𝐖𝐎 𝐎𝐂𝐄𝐀𝐍𝐒 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐍 𝐔𝐍𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐕𝐄𝐃 𝐀𝐏𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐘

The Two Oceans Marathon NPC Board of Directors, along with the Race Manager, have conducted an investigation into the 42.2km cut-off and the digimag communication. The results of this investigation confirms that Two Oceans Marathon NPC were indeed at fault.

The Two Oceans Marathon Board wishes to extend an unreserved apology to all those impacted.

Whilst the investigation took five weeks, as a Board, it was imperative that the matter was explored thoroughly to identify the root cause, particularly due to the fact that inaccurate information was previously shared. The earlier press release was based on information provided to the Board at the time, which has now been found to be erroneous.

As referenced in the previous statement, the cut-off time of 10.46 was stated on the Two Oceans Marathon website; however, we are aware that on one area of the website, the time had not been updated, and stated a time of 10.50. This was an oversight, for which we take responsibility.

Although the cut-off at the 42.2km mark was set at 10.46, and this was the intended cut-off time, which was correctly executed, this will be revisited and reconsidered for the 2025 edition of the Two Oceans Ultra Marathon based on feedback suggesting it may be too stringent.

Our investigation into the information in the digimag revealed that two versions were available, one live version including the cut-off information and a version that was downloadable, that did not include the cut-off information. Two Oceans Marathon takes full responsibility for this misalignment. It is the duty of the race organiser to ensure all distributed information is accurate and consistent across all channels and touchpoints.

The Two Oceans Marathon NPC Board deeply regrets this conflicting information and has gained valuable insights regarding due diligence. We are committed to applying these lessons moving forward.

We are in the process of identifying the runners affected by the cut-off and will be contacting them directly in due course.

As the Two Oceans Marathon NPC, our unwavering goal has always been, and continues to be, to deliver a world-class event and to serve the running community in the best possible manner.

Unassisted wheelchair athlete Gerard Siebrietz heroically completed the Ultra Marathon in a manual transit or ‘push-wheelchair’ that was well-used and beset with several issues along the route. “I wanted to boost the morale of disabled people and show them anything is possible,” says Gerard.

Gerard’s voyage was a challenging one, but in the spirit of runner and spectator generosity that the Two Oceans Marathon is known for, there was no shortage of support or runners on hand to support his dream.

Gerard proves that your only disability is your mindset!

Khanyisa Stengile is known for getting fellow runners to traverse the roads in yellow tutus − this she does to raise awareness for endometriosis, a disease in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus.

Khanyisa tackled the gruelling Ultra, but without her customary yellow tutu for some reason.

“I was diagnosed with stage four endometriosis in 2008 after 10 years of suffering severe pain. Unfortunately, endometriosis was not well known back then so it took me years to get a diagnosis.

“After going through six surgeries to treat my endometriosis and losing most of my reproductive organs, I decided to run all my races in a yellow tutu to raise awareness about this debilitating condition. Running also helps to keep me sane because endometriosis takes a toll on my mental health.

“Endometriosis is so unpredictable, I may be running a decent pace one day then barely able to shuffle the next, but I lace up regardless.

“Fortunately, I was able to have a good run at this year’s TTOM. The sad thing was, I only realised on the Friday night that I had forgotten to pack my yellow tutu but I still conquered the current 𝘢𝘯𝘥 endometriosis!” ⭐ 🏃🏾‍♀️

Three years ago, after contracting COVID19, Andrea Hendrick was left paralysed. Doctors told her she would never walk again.

But, with the support of her husband, Andrew, and her brother Gary, and no shortage of desire to , Andrea defied 𝘢𝘭𝘭 the medical odds. Three years later, she lined up at the start line of the Totalsports Two Oceans 2024 Half Marathon.

Andrea may not have been able to run at any significant pace, but was determined to walk alongside Andrew. “We were right at the back. It was intimidating knowing we were last on the road, but we kept going. Our goal was simply to get to 12km. Wynberg hill was incredibly hard. Somehow before we knew it though we were able to press on not to 12km, but to 15!,” says an elated Andrea.

Her plans don’t stop there: “Next year I’ll be back, and we’ll run or walk even further! ‘Give up’, ‘can’t’, and ‘only so far’ are 𝘯𝘰𝘵 words that exist in my vocabulary!’

Way to , Andrea – thank you for showing us the depth and breadth and strength of the indomitable human will and spirit 🥇

'Eat sensibly, train even when you don't have to and listen to your body − this will help you enjoy your running for decades’.

These are the words of TOM ‘godfather’ of the Ultra, Louis Massyn on the longevity of his running career and on completing his record-setting 𝟒𝟕𝐭𝐡 𝐓𝐎𝐌 𝐔𝐥𝐭𝐫𝐚 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐧! As if this milestone wasn’t magnificent enough, Louis also recorded his fastest finish time since 2013 ⭐

‘Looking forward to the 2025 event − the countdown to my 50th Two Oceans Ultra Marathon has begun!’ – Well done CHAMP, you are a legend!

Mountains are meant to be conquered. this week