Cape Town Marathon

Overall this is an amazing city! The race itself is very well managed. The course is deceptively hard and what you see on the elevation maps does not do the gains justice. The hills aren't major, just seem to go on. The hill you get late in the race (mile 19.5) is longish and up a paver/brick path. The only justice is it does come with well place crowd support and bands. It was very nice to have the last 4 miles with heavy crowd support and the community real seems to rally around this race in general. The water stations were the best of any race I've been in; the little water baggies were clutch and handing out actual small water bottles...wow! I don't know if that occurred for the general race or just Age Group racers but that was impressive.

Weather-wise not too hot but probably a bit over perfect race conditions. Then sun started to come out the last 10 miles of the course but temps were again manageable. Probably more humid than ideal but I think on a coast you have to expect that.

The only knock from me would have been one that seems to carry in all Majors...not enough toilets. Just plan ahead when you head to the corrals and you'll be fine.

This should definitely be a race on more people's radar.

Negative splits but that's probably a given for any marathon. Look at the course elevation but know they are not what it will feel like on the course. Downhills are not down hill enough to give you much back. Predominantly a flat course with gains that kind of sneak up and make the race harder.

Probably should plan to get some sort of heat acclimation in before showing up to the race as well.

I'd get to the starting corral sooner next time and try to do the potty stuff sooner. Expected for a Major though.

Stay downtown and the shuttles were perfectly timed and not long at all. Hoping that stays the same as the race grows.