The City of Cape Town will once again play host to the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon which takes place over the Easter weekend on 4 and 5 April 2015.
The Two Oceans Marathon has become as synonymous with Cape Town as Table Mountain, and is a firm favourite with local and international athletes. From humble beginnings in 1970 with a field of just 26 runners, the event has grown in leaps and bounds and last year attracted 27 000 runners.
Dubbed the world’s most beautiful marathon, last year’s event contributed R266 million to the local economy.
‘The economic spin-offs of large events that attract domestic and international participants hold enormous benefits for the city and its residents. The ripple effect by way of job creation and the increased visitor spending in the city, coupled with the need for local associated services that benefit directly from these events, are all a welcome injection into the local economy,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Tourism, Events and Economic Development, Councillor Garreth Bloor.
Last year, the Two Oceans Marathon made a significant contribution to local coffers. In addition to the revenue stream, the global media exposure for the Mother City was phenomenal. The statistics show:
•   a contribution of R266 million to the economy
•   83 countries represented
•   50 000 visitors attending the pre-event expo
•   5,5 hours of live television coverage
•   media value worth R10 million
•   30 000 entries
•   27 000 runners in total
•   11 000 runners in the ultra-marathon
•   14 610 estimated runners from outside the Western Cape
Temporary road closures will be in place to accommodate the event. Residents are urged to familiarise themselves with the road closure schedule and parking restrictions so as to avoid any inconvenience. A detailed list of the road closures is available here
‘We extend a warm welcome to all runners and visitors to the city and trust they will have an enjoyable say in the Mother City. We wish all participants the best of luck for the marathon and hope they achieve their goals set for this run,’ said Councillor Bloor.
