The Totalsports TWO OCEANS MARATHON powered by BYD has appointed Marathon Tours & Travel as its exclusive International Travel Partner for the 2027, 2028 and 2029 editions, making the company the official entry channel for every International and Rest of Africa athlete.
For runners travelling to Cape Town, the important part is refreshingly unceremonious: entry, accommodation and travel can be arranged through one designated partner. The training will remain considerably less accommodating, particularly for anyone eyeing the 56km Ultra Marathon.
How Totalsports TWO OCEANS MARATHON international entries will work
From the 2027 edition, athletes classified by the event as International or Rest of Africa entrants will be required to secure their places through Marathon Tours & Travel. MTT will exclusively administer and facilitate those entries while offering travel arrangements built around the 56km Ultra Marathon and 21km Half Marathon.
The three-year agreement covers the 2027, 2028 and 2029 races. It is intended to give visiting runners a single route through the potentially fiddly business of obtaining an entry, arranging accommodation and organising travel to Cape Town.
Marathon Tours & Travel will not simply sit alongside the existing international entry process. It will be the official and exclusive channel for the affected athletes.
Chris Goldschmidt, Chairperson of the TWO OCEANS MARATHON NPC, said the agreement was designed to support the event’s international ambitions while simplifying the runner’s journey.
“We are excited to welcome Marathon Tours & Travel as the exclusive Travel Partner of the Totalsports TWO OCEANS MARATHON powered by BYD,” says Chris Goldschmidt, Chairperson of the TWO OCEANS MARATHON NPC.
“Their outstanding reputation for delivering world-class travel experiences to runners from around the globe makes them the ideal partner to support our vision of growing the event’s international reach while ensuring a seamless journey from registration to race day.
Over the next three years, MTT will exclusively administer and facilitate all International and Rest of Africa entries, providing participants with trusted travel expertise and convenient travel packages that allow them to fully embrace everything Cape Town and the World’s Most Beautiful Marathon have to offer.”
A single route from registration to Cape Town
International race travel tends to involve two parallel endurance tests. One takes place on the road. The other happens months earlier, somewhere between an entry form, a flight search and the dawning realisation that the most convenient hotel disappeared while you were comparing breakfast options.
The partnership is intended to bring those moving parts together. According to the organisers, runners will be able to combine their race entry with travel and accommodation through MTT rather than navigating each element independently.
Wade Bromfield, Event Director of the Totalsports TWO OCEANS MARATHON powered by BYD, said the arrangement would support both the international growth of the event and the experience of runners arriving from abroad.
“We are excited to partner with MTT over the next three years as we continue to welcome more runners from around the world and grow the global appeal of the Totalsports TWO OCEANS MARATHON powered by BYD, reinforcing its position as the World’s Most Beautiful Marathon,” says Bromfield.
“Partnering with MTT allows us to provide international and runners from the rest of Africa with a trusted, end-to-end travel solution that makes planning their journey to Cape Town simple and seamless. By bringing travel, accommodation and their race entry together through a trusted partner, we can offer runners greater convenience, confidence and peace of mind, allowing them to focus on the excitement of being part of the World’s Most Beautiful Marathon.”
The practical distinction is important. Athletes falling within the International or Rest of Africa entry categories should not attempt to secure their race places through an alternative tour operator or an unofficial third party.
Race opportunities for the ultra and half marathon
The agreement encompasses both principal race distances: the 56km Ultra Marathon and the 21km Half Marathon.
Marathon Tours & Travel says international athletes using its service will have access to guaranteed race opportunities for the two events. The wording is significant for runners planning a long-distance trip around a race place, although participants should still check the package conditions, entry requirements and applicable booking terms before committing to travel.
Marie Howarth, Head of Product and Operations at Marathon Tours & Travel, said the organisation’s teams had first-hand experience of both distances.
“We are thrilled and honoured to partner with Totalsports TWO OCEANS MARATHON powered by BYD, as their Exclusive International Travel Partner,” says Howarth. “Through this partnership, international athletes will have access to guaranteed race opportunities for both the iconic 56km Ultra Marathon and the 21km Half Marathon.
Cape Town holds a special place in our hearts, and having experienced the 21km and 56km first hand, it’s a privilege to help showcase the World’s Most Beautiful Marathon globally. Our local and international teams are dedicated to creating an exceptional race-week experience, ensuring runners are welcomed, supported and inspired every step of the way.”
How runners can obtain official information
International and Rest of Africa athletes can find event and travel information through the dedicated Marathon Tours & Travel page:
Prospective entrants should confirm the package inclusions, booking conditions, payment requirements and entry process directly with MTT before arranging separate flights or accommodation. No race dates, package prices or booking deadlines were included in the partnership announcement, so those details should be checked through the official channel as they become available.
For the Totalsports TWO OCEANS MARATHON, the partnership creates a defined international entry pathway for three successive editions. For the runner, it removes at least one navigational puzzle before the serious mileage begins. The road may still be long, but the paperwork now has a single lane.
