Cape Town 2026: Esa Smashes the African All-Comers Record in 2:04:55 as Kipchoge Launches His World Tour

TL;DR. On May 24, 2026, the Cape Town Marathon delivered the spring's biggest running story: Huseyidin Mohamed Esa won in 2:04:55, the first sub-2:05 marathon ever run on African soil and an African all-comers' record. Dera Dida took the women's race in 2:23:18 for an all-Ethiopian podium. And in the pack, Eliud Kipchoge finished 16th in 2:13:29 — the opening leg of his new project: seven marathons across seven continents.

It's the race nobody expected. Or rather — the race everyone expected for two reasons (Kipchoge returning, Cape Town pushing for Majors status) and that delivered a third nobody had on their bingo card: an African all-comers' record in 2:04:55.

Cape Town Marathon, Sunday May 24, 2026. The 17th edition. A single morning that rewrote the marathon conversation for 2026.

2:04:55: Esa and the first sub-2:05 ever run in Africa

Ethiopia's Huseyidin Mohamed Esa crossed the line in 2:04:55. On paper, that's a notch off what we've been seeing in London or Boston this spring. On African soil, it's historic.

Three numbers to take in:

• 3 minutes and 21 seconds off the previous course record set by Abdisa Tola in 2:08:16 (2024).
• First sub-2:05 ever clocked at Cape Town.
• African all-comers' record on a World Athletics record-eligible course — the fastest marathon ever run on the continent.

Esa had to grind it out, finishing 4 seconds ahead of fellow Ethiopian Yihunilign Adane (2:04:59), with Kenya's Kalipus Lomwai third in 2:05:06. For Esa, this is also a vindication: it's his first major marathon win after runner-up finishes in Tokyo 2023, Boston and Chicago 2024, and a DNF at Boston this April. The guy who kept finishing second just delivered a statement run.

For the gear watchers: the records at Cape Town fell with the same tools that defined London in April — the new carbon plates featured in our coverage of Sabastian Sawe's sub-2 hour run and the Adidas Adios Pro Evo 3.

Dera Dida and the all-Ethiopian women's podium

The women's race was tighter but no less decisive. Dera Dida won in 2:23:18, ahead of compatriots Mestawut Fikir (2:23:46) and Waganesh Amare (2:23:57). Three Ethiopians inside one minute, all-Ethiopian podium.

Dida is no newcomer. But on this Sunday, May 24, she added Cape Town to her résumé and reminded everyone that the depth of Ethiopian women's marathoning in 2026 remains enormous.

Kipchoge 16th in 2:13:29: the World Tour is on

Mid-pack, more than eight minutes behind the winner, a 41-year-old man toed the line — for the first time in his career — at a marathon in Africa. Eliud Kipchoge, two-time Olympic champion, former world record holder, finished 16th in 2:13:29.

The split was nowhere near what Kipchoge can run at his peak. But Sunday wasn't a race to win: it was the opening leg of "Eliud's World Tour", a personal project he announced in late 2025 — seven marathons across seven continents over two years.

"It's time to race in Africa" — Kipchoge's line when he announced Cape Town as the launch. It was his very first marathon ever on the continent.

Six months without racing, 41 years old, and a format that's neither a retirement tour nor a final shot at the records: Kipchoge is inventing a new chapter as an "athlete-project" runner. Each stop also raises funds for his Eliud Kipchoge Foundation (education and environment).

Seven marathons, seven continents: what's next

Cape Town was leg one. Here's what's been announced for the rest of the tour:

• Africa ✅ — Cape Town, May 24, 2026
• South America — Porto Alegre Marathon (Brazil), July 12, 2026
• Asia, Oceania, Europe, North America, Antarctica — seven cities, seven continents, calendar still being finalised. Abu Dhabi, Perth (Australia), Algarve (Portugal), Cartagena (Colombia), Miami and Wolf's Fang in Antarctica are reported destinations.

This is a format we haven't seen from an elite marathoner before. Not a farewell tour, not a record-chasing season, not a show. More of an "around the world by marathons" — telling a career story, raising funds for a foundation, and keeping the runner running without the win-or-bust pressure.

Cape Town and the 7th star: the Majors bid moves forward

Beyond the chronos, there's a deeper story at Cape Town. The race is officially in contention to become the 7th World Marathon Major, and the 2026 edition pushed every lever to advance the case.

Three things to keep in mind:

1. Every 2026 finisher receives a provisional Abbott World Marathon Majors star. If Cape Town is admitted into the Majors family in 2027, that star converts into a recognised one — and counts toward the "Six Star" finisher collection.
2. The race moved from autumn to southern hemisphere spring (May) to dodge September's violent winds. The 2025 edition was cancelled due to extreme weather.
3. The 2026 elite field — Kipchoge, Esa, Dida, and a stacked roster of Ethiopian and Kenyan talent — was clearly designed to show Cape Town can play in the same league as Berlin, Boston or Chicago.

In short: Cape Town wants its seat at the table. And an African all-comers' record on the day Kipchoge runs in Cape Town is exactly the argument they needed to land on the desk.

Why this matters even if you're nowhere near Cape Town

Cape Town, on paper, is far. In practice it's a 10+ hour flight from most of Europe, usually with a stop, and a marathon that runs in parallel with the spring European race season.

But this 2026 edition will affect several things runners care about directly:

• The Majors map is shifting. If Cape Town gets in by 2027, the "Six Star" challenge becomes a "Seven Star". For runners who chase Majors, that's one more bib to plan for — and probably more accessible than Boston (the BQ standards stay tough).
• Kipchoge's World Tour format invents a different career story. It's not just about chasing a personal best anymore: it's about running a story. That opens the door for amateur projects — finishing every race of a season, doing a marathon per continent visited, building a personal "tour".
• Elite times keep climbing. When sub-2:05 becomes possible at Cape Town, Sabastian Sawe's 1:59:30 in April stops looking like an absolute anomaly: it becomes the peak of a wave.

If you're starting to picture your first marathon or your next, knowing the global context isn't about stressing over your pace — it's about understanding that the sport is moving fast, the reference numbers are shifting, and the calendar is widening.

FAQ — Everything you might want to know about Cape Town 2026

Who won the 2026 Cape Town Marathon?

Huseyidin Mohamed Esa (Ethiopia) won the men's race in 2:04:55, and Dera Dida (Ethiopia) won the women's race in 2:23:18, on Sunday May 24, 2026.

Why is Esa's time historic?

It's the first marathon under 2:05 ever run on the African continent on a record-eligible course, and an African all-comers' record. It breaks the previous course record (Abdisa Tola, 2:08:16, 2024) by more than three minutes.

Where did Eliud Kipchoge finish?

Eliud Kipchoge finished 16th in 2:13:29. It was his first marathon in over six months, and his first marathon ever on the African continent.

What is "Eliud's World Tour"?

It's a personal project by Eliud Kipchoge: run seven marathons across the seven continents in two years, celebrating running and raising funds for his foundation. Cape Town was leg 1. Next up: the Porto Alegre Marathon (Brazil), July 12, 2026.

Is Cape Town going to become a World Marathon Major?

Discussions are active. 2026 finishers receive a provisional Abbott World Marathon Majors star: if Cape Town is admitted into the Majors family in 2027, the star becomes official. The candidacy is moving forward, but no decision has been announced yet.

Why is Cape Town now in May instead of September?

To dodge the violent September winds that hit the Cape peninsula. The 2025 edition was cancelled due to extreme weather. May also opens the door to a stronger elite field — southern hemisphere autumn means ideal cool conditions for marathon racing.

What's next

Cape Town 2026 will go down as the day the African record fell, Kipchoge made his African debut, and the Majors bid moved a step forward. A dense morning — and a preview of what the rest of the season is likely to look like.

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