Cape Town Marathon is candidate to become a Marathon Major

Isn't it a bit stupid to have more majors?

More majors the more diluted the fields become ..

Ne'er heard of it.

China was also trying to get one of their marathons into a major.

So the title was changed and a link was added without an editors note? Is this a mod using a ghost account?

A righteous edit, since my original title was incorrect. Link being added was good for clarification.

No.

USATF leader and guiding light wrote:

Ne'er heard of it.

Never heard of Cape Town, or never heard that they could actually have a marathon?

Road running is very deep in South Africa, you have all heard about Comrades that gets >20,000 running 90km, and really serious runners not walkers like elsewhere. Then there is Two Oceans (in Cape Town) that also attracts 12-15K for the 56km, both requiring marathon qualifications.

The Cape Town marathon would be a huge opportunity for an extremely flat course. It is not called the Cape Flats for nothing. Between the Table Mountain range and the mountains to East and north, it doesn't rise above about 20m, and sand dunes (beach sand, shells) found 40km away.

I am Sam wrote:

USATF leader and guiding light wrote:

Ne'er heard of it.

Never heard of Cape Town, or never heard that they could actually have a marathon?

Road running is very deep in South Africa, you have all heard about Comrades that gets >20,000 running 90km, and really serious runners not walkers like elsewhere. Then there is Two Oceans (in Cape Town) that also attracts 12-15K for the 56km, both requiring marathon qualifications.

The Cape Town marathon would be a huge opportunity for an extremely flat course. It is not called the Cape Flats for nothing. Between the Table Mountain range and the mountains to East and north, it doesn't rise above about 20m, and sand dunes (beach sand, shells) found 40km away.

Its flat yes but wind is always a problem in Cape Town during October.In 2019 the wind was pretty bad alot of people who were hoping for PB times fell short

Thing is if it's in October then you already competing against Berlin in terms of majors for a flat route.

Competing vs Berlin and potential wind I don't think it will ever compete as a WR course

So rather throw some hills in there to make it interesting ... Assuming you can make it more scenic that way as well

It'd be pretty cool to have a WMM in each of the non-Antartica continents. Not sure why we have three mediocre ones in the US.

birdbeard wrote:

It'd be pretty cool to have a WMM in each of the non-Antartica continents.....

+1. Getting one in Africa and in S. America would be good.

The problem with continuing to expand the marathon majors is dilution and cherry picking races. London has so much money for appearance fees that they will always scoop up the majority of the top marathoners in the spring. If all the races are given the same weight, you could have inferior runners going to races like Cape Town and Boston and ending up with world major titles over runners who compete at London and Berlin but do not finish as high.

Cape Town has grown a lot over the past few years and is putting good money behind an international field. But the marathon boom is over. Cape Town will never be as big as NY, Tokyo, etc. and probably not even get close. Adding Cape Town seems more like a political favor.

Only makes sense if a different major loses it status. The American majors are really putting together some weak international fields these days, even before the pandemic. I could see one of them getting pulled. Not like Americans care about world class marathoners, anyways. They want to see the feel good stories of the mom of 4 setting a PR or veteran running for injured soldiers on the evening news or the guy that ran in the funny costume.

Additionally, Cape Town would work better for the East Africans. Not nearly as much of a time change compared to jetting across the Atlantic. I'm sure that trip affects performance for some athletes.

Precious Roy wrote:

The problem with continuing to expand the marathon majors is dilution and cherry picking races. London has so much money for appearance fees that they will always scoop up the majority of the top marathoners in the spring. If all the races are given the same weight, you could have inferior runners going to races like Cape Town and Boston and ending up with world major titles over runners who compete at London and Berlin but do not finish as high.

Cape Town has grown a lot over the past few years and is putting good money behind an international field. But the marathon boom is over. Cape Town will never be as big as NY, Tokyo, etc. and probably not even get close. Adding Cape Town seems more like a political favor.

disagree, adding more majors makes it so it's necessary for championships like world's and the Olympics to determine who the world's best marathoner is, and that is a good thing.

I really enjoyed this marathon in 1995 but encountered severe winds on parts of the course. I mean really severe winds! The course may be different all these years later.

Rockz wrote:

Isn't it a bit stupid to have more majors?

More majors the more diluted the fields become ..

To actually become the "World Marathon Majors" two of the three U.S. races need to go. New York is the one that should remain. Africa, South America, and Oceania need to be added. China should also get a major because of large population and interest in running there (India still loves their cricket). So, 7 or 8 majors with no country having more than one.

sub sub elite local hobby jogger wrote:

Only makes sense if a different major loses it status. The American majors are really putting together some weak international fields these days, even before the pandemic. I could see one of them getting pulled. Not like Americans care about world class marathoners, anyways. They want to see the feel good stories of the mom of 4 setting a PR or veteran running for injured soldiers on the evening news or the guy that ran in the funny costume.

You just outlined precisely why the US marathons will NEVER lose "major" status.

I'd be okay with the US losing one if it meant another could be added elsewhere. NYC should remain a major, imo. Boston would still be highly successful if it lost its major status. I don't have a good feel for Chicago

likeWow wrote:

I really enjoyed this marathon in 1995 but encountered severe winds on parts of the course. I mean really severe winds! The course may be different all these years later.

Think its a totally different course now and needs to be either earlier in Spring or in Autumn