The Two Oceans Marathon is a 56km ultra marathon and 21km half-marathon held annually in Cape Town, South Africa with the ultra marathon held on a Saturday in April and the half marathon held the next day on the Sunday. It was previously held on Easter weekend.
Described as "the world's most beautiful marathon," the race is run against a backdrop of spectacular scenery through the Cape Peninsula.
Both races start in Newlands. The Ultra Marathon follows a more or less circular route through Muizenberg, Fish Hoek, over Chapman's Peak, through Hout Bay and Constantia Nek and eventually finishes at the University of Cape Town campus.
On occasions, when Chapman's Peak Drive has been closed due to construction or rock falls, the Ultra Marathon has followed an alternative route over Ou Kaapse Weg.
The Half Marathon takes runners along Edinburgh Drive (the M3 highway), before turning into forest roads past Kirstenbosch and finishing at the University of Cape Town campus.
Since its inaugural edition in 1970, the event has grown. Selling out every year, the Half Marathon sees some 16 000 participants (making it the biggest half marathon in South Africa); while 11 000 athletes tackle the 56 km Ultra Marathon.
In addition to the main events, other events take place:
- Approximately 6 000 runners - including toddlers and young children with their families - take part in various fun runs
- Approximately 1 000 trail runners traverse the trails of the Table Mountain National Park
- International participants get to run a scenic 5 km route along the Sea Point promenade as part of the International Friendship Run
This year's race was marred by controversy.
The race typically attracts around 16 000 runners and making a Top 10 finish is a rare achievement at one of South Africa’s largest half marathons.
The race operates under a ballot system due to high demand, with entries issued to individual participants and linked to personal and medical information.
Transfers outside official channels are prohibited and runners found in breach face disqualification and possible bans.
Details of the incident were published on the Running Mann blog by Stuart Mann, an elected member of the Two Oceans Marathon NPC board who also heads its disciplinary subcommittee.
Speaking to the Cape Argus in his personal capacity, Mann said the breach had a direct impact on athletes. "This is a straightforward violation of well-publicised rules, and it directly affected the outcome of the women’s race," he said.
According to information published on his blog, one of the runners used an entry belonging to a participant who had not planned to run; while in another case a runner took part using a female entrant’s number after she withdrew due to injury.
Race officials stress that bib swapping is not a minor technical breach—it undermines the entire compeitive framework.
Stuart Mann described it as a straightforward violation of well-publicised rules" that directly affects race outcomes.
Beyond fairness, there are critical safety concerns:
- Race numbers are linked to medical records and emergency contacts
- Incorrect data can delay or compromise medical treatment
- Insurance coverage may be invalidated
- Official times are used as qualifiers for other races
Sports science researcher, Pieter-Henk Boer, said bib swapping carries risks beyond race results. "Bib swapping may seem harmless, but the risks are significant," Boer said. "In an emergency, incorrect medical and next-of-kin information can have serious consequences."
According to Runningmann, one bloke decided to run the Two Oceans half marathon under a female friend’s race number and finished as the 7th lady, while the daughter of former Springbok prop, Adrian Garvey, gave her number to a "friend," who ended up in 10th place.
Runningmann blogger Stuart Mann, who is also on the Two Oceans Marathon board, made the discovery on Tuesday evening and managed to identify one of the "Insta Bros" as Luke Jacobs. The other bro has not yet been named but both have been shamed and disqualified and will face further disciplinary action.
Screenshots revealed that Jacobs finished seventh in a time of 1:23:06 and the one running under Garvey’s number was three places behind in 1:24:27. The names have since been removed from the list and the runners who finished 11th and 12th, Alexa Townsend and Karin-Mari Dotze, have taken their rightful place in the top 10.
Garvey has since apologised for giving her entry to a friend but chose not to reveal his name while Jacobs replied to Mann’s post, saying, "Hi Stuart, I did not plan on participating this year. While supporting on Saturday, I was given an unused entry by an international runner for the following day. I made an error in judgement and did not consider the consequences. I should not have taken part, and I sincerely apologise for any impact on the event and fellow participants. Regards."
The two men finished in the top 10 but were later disqualified after the breach was discovered by a Two Oceans Marathon board member. Both men, along with the two female entrants who supplied the entries, face a two-year ban from the event.
The fraudulent entries pushed legitimate female runners out of their rightful top-10 positions, affecting prize recognition for runners like Alexa Townsend and Karin-Mari Dötze.
Luke Jacobs admitted to using an unused entry from an international runner, stating he didn't consider the consequences of his actions.
The incident highlighted significant risks regarding medical safety, as runners’ information is linked to their bib numbers, and it compromised the integrity of the women's race category.
This incident occurred within a broader context of debate over race integrity, with reports of up to 20 people receiving disqualifications and bans from the 2025 event due to various forms of cheating; including "banditing" (running in someone else's number) and "tag teaming." The 2026 race was also noted for a "scandal" surrounding the illegal substitution process, which is strictly prohibited after a certain deadline.
Error in judgement, or perhaps too much whey powder in their smoothies, we suggest the okes stick to their gender come next year.
This attempt was absurd and not well thought of. In this day and age, technology can help in catching those who cheat and identify the manner.
Based on the type, it was a foolish one. Having medical records and conditions places the "replacement" at risk of getting unnecessary attention and medication.