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Sanlam Cape Town Marathon 2027

RunningCape Town, South AfricaCape Town Marathon (Sanlam Cape Town Marathon)

The public entry ballot for Sanlam Cape Town Marathon 2027 ran 10 Jun 2026 to 24 Jun 2026, with results 26 Jun 2026; entry carried an application fee.

Running illustration in The Ticket Lottery poster style

Key facts

Ballot window: 10 Jun 2026 to 24 Jun 2026
Results: 26 Jun 2026
Event dates: 23 May 2027 (marathon day; race weekend 22 May 2027 to 23 May 2027)
Ballot type: ballot draw (nominal R5 application fee)
Entry cost: R5.00 (about USD 0.30) non-refundable ballot application processing fee, donated by the organizer to a Cape Town Marathon linked charity; the race entry fee is charged only on a successful draw (for the 2027 cycle, cards were struck 26 Jun 2026, with further attempts 30 Jun 2026 and 3 Jul 2026). The organizer does not publish the race entry fee amount on its public pages; it is shown inside the entry portal
Eligibility: 18 years or older by race day (23 May 2027) for the 42.2km marathon; finish within the 6.5-hour cutoff
Ticket prices if you win: Race entry fee not published on the organizer's public pages; charged on selection via the entry portal

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Key dates

Wed, 10 Jun 2026Ballot opensDone
Wed, 24 Jun 2026Ballot closesDone
Fri, 26 Jun 2026ResultsDone
Sun, 23 May 2027Event runsNext

Where it stands

As of 8 Sept 2026

This is the race's first edition as the eighth Abbott World Marathon Major (confirmed by AbbottWMM in June 2026, Africa's first Major), and demand rose accordingly.

The 2027 general ballot ran 10 Jun 2026 to 24 Jun 2026, with successful and unsuccessful applicants both emailed on 26 Jun 2026 and successful cards charged from that day. International Tour Operator and charity entries opened 26 Jun 2026, first-come first-served.

Successful ballot entries are non-transferable, and the organizer states a deferral window to 2028 opens closer to race day. The race weekend is 22 May 2027 to 23 May 2027, marathon day 23 May 2027.

No ballot window for the 2028 race has been announced; the 2027 ballot ran in June the year before the race, a pattern worth watching from mid-2027

How to enter

The 2027 general ballot ran 10 Jun 2026 to 24 Jun 2026 on the official entry portal (capetownmarathon.howler.co.za), with all applicants notified by email on 26 Jun 2026. The next expected route into the 2027 race after the ballot: International Tour Operator and charity entries opened 26 Jun 2026 on a first-come, first-served basis via capetownmarathon.com/run-for-charity and the international travel program

Your odds

No applicant count, field size or success rate is published for the 2027 ballot on any organizer page. First edition as an Abbott World Marathon Major, so no prior Major-era cycle exists to anchor expectations

Good to know

The R5 ballot application fee is non-refundable whatever the draw's outcome; the organizer donates it to a linked charity, so entering the ballot is a nominal-cost act rather than a strictly free one.
Successful ballot entries are non-transferable and no substitutions are permitted. The organizer's stated route out is the deferral window to 2028 that opens closer to race day, not a resale or a name change.
Missed the 2027 ballot: International Tour Operator and charity entries opened 26 Jun 2026 first-come first-served, and those are the organizer's stated remaining routes into the first Major edition.

Quick answers

▸Is there a public ticket ballot for Sanlam Cape Town Marathon 2027?

Yes. It runs as a ballot draw (nominal R5 application fee). 10 Jun 2026 to 24 Jun 2026.

▸How much does entering cost?

R5.00 (about USD 0.30) non-refundable ballot application processing fee, donated by the organizer to a Cape Town Marathon linked charity; the race entry fee is charged only on a successful draw (for the 2027 cycle, cards were struck 26 Jun 2026, with further attempts 30 Jun 2026 and 3 Jul 2026). The organizer does not publish the race entry fee amount on its public pages; it is shown inside the entry portal

▸Who can enter?

18 years or older by race day (23 May 2027) for the 42.2km marathon; finish within the 6.5-hour cutoff