City runners Rajiv Batra and Yogesh Ghera successfully completed the prestigious Cape Town Marathon 2026 held in Cape Town, South Africa last Sunday .
The event attracted a record participation of over 44,500 runners from across the globe competing in the 5 km, 10 km, 21 km and 42 km categories. The full marathon alone witnessed approximately 27,000 participants, making it one of the largest road-running events on the African continent.
Among the finishers were Chandigarh’s seasoned runners Yogesh Ghera (52) and Rajiv Batra (55), who successfully completed the challenging 42.195-km race. Yogesh Ghera clocked an impressive official time of 4 hours 09 minutes, while Rajiv Batra completed the marathon in 4 hours 59 minutes.
The 2026 edition of the Cape Town Marathon carried special significance as it served as the final evaluation race before potentially joining the elite Abbott World Marathon Majors circuit in 2027. Known for its fast, flat and scenic course, the Cape Town Marathon takes runners through the heart of the city, offering spectacular views of Table Mountain, the Atlantic seaboard and several iconic landmarks.
Both are running over a decade and covered six major marathons including New York, Chicago, Boston, Berlin, London, Tokyo and few others Expressing their happiness after crossing the finish line, both runners said that participating in one of the world’s most celebrated marathons was a memorable experience and a testament to the growing culture of distance running among fitness enthusiasts from the region.
