It Takes a Village to Run a Marathon

For many runners in South Africa, the sport is about far more than personal goals - it is about connection, community and camaraderie. As thousands of athletes prepare to run the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon this weekend (23 and 24 May), that connection will be on full display. From sunrise runs on the Sea Point Promenade and hilly climbs to Umhlanga, to township crews blending music, movement and community, running clubs have evolved into something much bigger than fitness groups.

They’ve become modern social spaces - places where people find friendship, accountability, safety and a sense of belonging in increasingly disconnected urban lives. “Nobody runs a marathon alone,” says Shadi Chauke, Group Executive: Corporate Affairs and Sustainability at Sanlam. “Behind every runner is a village - the friends, clubs, volunteers and supporters who help get you to the start line.

That is why Sanlam is so passionate about this sponsorship, it brings people together and builds community in the best possible way!” Lifestyle running crews are growing as quickly as the country’s appetite for wellness culture itself. But unlike traditional running clubs built purely around performance, today’s crews are often as much about community as they are about cardio. Chauke says, “People arrive for the run, but stay for everything around it: the post-run coffee, the group chats, the encouragement after a difficult week, the familiar faces waiting at the same meeting point every Saturday morning. “And for many women, running together also offers something increasingly valuable in urban environments: safety in numbers. Routes that might feel intimidating alone become energising and social within a group setting.”

These crews have become what sociologists call “third spaces” - places outside of work and home where connection happens naturally. Some host wellness events and community initiatives. Others feel closer to cultural movements than athletics clubs. And then there’s the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon, where all these communities come together. The marathon is about far more than the 42.2 kilometres. When thousands of runners line up in Green Point, each person arrives carrying their own support system with them - whether it’s a running crew, a family member tracking their progress, or strangers shouting encouragement from the sidelines.

Influencer Masibulele Mkhundlu says, “Training for the Sanlam CapeTown Marathon is never just about the race day, because every kilometre you run has someone else in it. My village is the one that shows up even when they don’t feel like it. The ones that don’t let you quit. Every run tells a story, the hilly long runs that test us, the short runs that build us. It is always the consistency: same people, same route, same commitment.”

That’s what makes the event feel bigger than sport. It’s a celebration of collective progress. As title sponsor of the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon, Sanlam’s role sits naturally within that story - supporting not only a world-class race, but the communities, resilience and human connection that surround it. Because somewhere between the early-morning meet-ups and the finish line, running has become one of South Africa’s most meaningful new social rituals. The Sanlam Cape Town Marathon takes place this weekend (23 and 24 May), with the Marathon Expo opening on Thursday 21 May at the DHL Stadium Cape Town, where participants will collect their race packs ahead of Sunday’s start line.