Lace up for the Sanlam Cape Town Virtual Marathon

Published on 28th July, 2020 at 10:06 am

Lace up your running shoes and hit the streets in preparation for this year’s Sanlam Cape Town Virtual Marathon – a world first for a race of this scale!

We know that many of you are missing out on participating in your favourite marathon in 2020, which is why we’re bringing you the Sanlam Cape Town Virtual Marathon, which will include the 5km and 10km Peace Runs, a full and half marathon, and takes place on 18 October 2020. You can enjoy a sneak peek of the virtual app here.

Sanlam Reality Club, Core, Plus, Health and Access for Sanlam Group Risk members will enjoy free entry to the virtual event, with more info on how to claim your free entry still to be announced ­– keep an eye on your inbox for more info. Reality Core, Plus and Health members will earn tier points for their participation in the event.

Through the Virtual Marathon app, your immersive and interactive half marathon race experience will make you feel as if you are running through the streets of Cape Town, with a dynamic surround sound feature that allows you to listen to the unique sounds of the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon route while treading the familiar ground of your chosen race route. Plus, all 21km and 42km participants residing in South Africa will receive a medal!.

The app will display your actual route, and where you would be in Cape Town at the same distance. Your race progress, speed and running time will also be tracked while you’re on the road.

“We are already in the spotlight as the only race on the African continent to enjoy the prestigious World Athletics Gold Label Status, so I am proud that the world’s first truly immersive virtual marathon comes from Africa,” shares Sanlam Cape Town Marathon chairperson, Francois Pienaar.

World champion, multiple Olympian, gold medallist and world record holder, Sir Mo Farah, and South African marathon and ultra-marathon champion Gerda Steyn will also race in the 10km Virtual Peace Run in the UK and Dubai respectively. Their participation is a huge boost for the virtual race and shows that anyone can run the Sanlam Cape Town Virtual Marathon, no matter where you are. SABC 2 will bring viewers live coverage on race day – marking the SABC’s first live broadcast of a virtual event.

Get ready for race day by forming and sticking to your training habits. Here are tips on how to do just that.

Sanlam Reality Club, Core, Plus, Health and Access for Sanlam Group Risk members enjoy free entry to the event – keep an eye out on your inbox for more updates. For more information about the marathon, click here.