The Two Oceans Ultra-Marathon has diverted its route to avoid going through Hout Bay and over scenic Chapman’s Peak Drive following threats of protest action in the area.
This week the Hout Bay Leadership Forum (HBLF), a newly formed group aimed at getting housing and services for the Hangberg and Imizamo Yethu communities, threatened marathon runners saying they “couldn’t guarantee anyone’s safety on Saturday” if the City of Cape Town doesn’t comply with their demands.
According to a media release sent out late on Thursday night, after consulting with the South African Police Service and other City of Cape Town officials, marathon organisers have now eliminated the Chapman’s Peak section of the 56km ultra-marathon, and instead rerouted the ultra marathon over Ou Kaapse Weg to protect runners from protesters – which they consider a “credible and real threat to the event’s safety”.
These safety precautions also led to the cancellation of the inaugural relay race planned for this year.
The half-marathon and the four separate start times remain unaffected.