Great Runs in Cape Town
Cape Town’s natural setting is among the most spectacular of any city in the world — up there with San Francisco, Vancouver, Sydney, Hong Kong, and Rio. Cape Town is famous for its harbor, natural setting in the Cape Floristic Region, beautiful landmarks such as Table Mountain, and superb beaches. The city centre, known as City Bowl, is the pulse of the Mother City, providing the lifeblood of the surrounding areas. Running is a great way to discover this city full of diversity, culture, history, and natural beauty. One important thing to consider, Cape Town is not flat. The streets in the city center begin rising as they leave the downtown “bowl”. There are a variety of different runs accessible, but the ones with the best rewards involve burning up those calves.
Transit options in Cape Town includes the MyCiTi bus service and taxis. The MyCiTi services includes linking the Airport to the Cape Town inner city, as well as all suburbs of the City Bowl and Atlantic Seaboard all the way to Llandudno and Hout Bay. Cape Town has two kinds of taxis: metered taxis and minibus taxis. Please note unlike many cities, metered taxis are not allowed to drive around the city to solicit fares and instead must be called to a specific location. Minibus taxis are the standard form of transport for the majority of the population who cannot afford private vehicles. Be warned, these taxis are often poorly maintained and are frequently not road-worthy.
Cape Town has a Mediterranean climate with mild, moderately wet winters and dry, warm summers. Winter (June through August) may see large cold fronts with significant precipitation and strong north-westerly winds. The average high is 64 °F (18.0 °C) and the average low is 47 °F (8.5 °C) during the winter months. Summer (December through March), is warm and dry. The average high is 79 °F (26.0 °C) and the average low is 61 °F (16.0 °C). Ocean water temperatures vary greatly, between 50 °F (10 °C) on the Atlantic Seaboard, to over 72 °F (22 °C) in False Bay.
The Iconic Routes
- Historical Cape Town
- Camps Bay
- Sea Point Promenade
- Lion’s Head
- Rondebosch Common
- Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden
- Muizenberg Beach
- Chapmans Peak
The Routes
Historical Cape Town
3.6 miles Start: Coen Steytler Roundabout MAP
Trace the footsteps of Van Riebeeck, the founder of Cape Town, and see the major landmarks within the city. Begin at the Coen Steytler Roundabout with the statue of Barthomoloew Dias. Continue running up Adderley Street past the fountain circle and the statues of Van Riebeeck and his wife. Turn left onto Strand Street past the Castle of Good Hope. Take a right onto Darling Street past the City Hall, Grand Parade and various beautiful Art Deco buildings, including the Post Office and Mutual Heights.
Turn left up Plein Street to the Church square. Here, you should check out the Slave Memorial and the Groote Kerk. As you continue, pass the Slave Lodge and Parliament to St George’s Cathedral. Enter the Company’s Gardens and run to Delville Wood Memorial. Exit the garden along Queen Victoria Street and turn left onto Wale Street until you get to the Bo Kaap. There is no missing this neighborhood: you’ll know you’re there by the brightly colored homes and cobblestone streets. Turn right into Chiappini Street and use Hout Street to get to St George’s Mall pedestrian street. Peruse the shops and street vendors as you make your way back to the start.
If you want a more unique opportunity to learn more about Cape Town’s past, Book a tour with Run Cape Town. You will get a feel for the vibe of the city by running through its streets, while a local guide shares the history and anecdotes about the places you’re passing. They offer 5km, (similar to the one outlined above) 8km, or 12km routes.
Camps Bay
4.1 mile RT. Start: Intersection of Camps Bay Dr. and Victoria Rd. MAP
The Cape Town shore is lined with beautiful beach neighborhoods, rugged cliffs and beaches. Camps Bay beach is one of the nicest in the area. It is known for its backdrop of Table Mountain and the Twelve Apostles, which are cliffs on this side of the mountain that form an undulating series of buttes. Victoria Road parallels the beach. This main drag is jam-packed with funky restaurants, trendy pubs, and bucket-and-spade shops on one side.
Begin your run at the intersection of Camps Bay Dr. and Victoria Rd, and head north with the beach on your left. Depending on what surface you prefer to run on, you can stick to the sidewalk of Victoria Road, or run on the beach. At the north end of Camps Bay Beach, keep left and take the little walkway which leads to Glen Beach. When cliffs begin to block your way, turn up a walkway back to Victoria Rd. Follow Victoria Road until you pass the last of the buildings in Clifton. You’ll reach a sharp curve in the road where you get expansive views. This is your turn-around point. Head back the way you came getting all the great views from the opposite perspective. Reward yourself at the end with a swim in the sea and breakfast in Camps Bay!
Sea Point Promenade
5.7 miles out-and-back Start: The Blue Train Park MAP
The Sea Point Promenade is probably Cape Town’s most popular route. The path between Granger Bay and Bantry Bay is flat, surrounded by green grass and stunning sea views. It is situated between Signal Hill and the Atlantic Ocean, about 2.5 miles to the west of Cape Town’s Central Business District. The route is easy to follow. From Blue Train Park, follow Beach Road past the Green Point Lighthouse until you see the Sea Point Promenade on your left. Follow the promenade until you get to Seacliffe Road in Bantry Bay, then turn back to return to the start. This route is free of cars but can get crowded with runners and walkers.
Lion’s head
3.1 mile loop Start: Signal Hill Road MAP
Lion’s Head lies between Table Mountain and Signal Hill. Lion’s Head peak forms part of a dramatic backdrop to the city of Cape Town and is part of the Table Mountain National Park. There is a loop at the base of Lion’s Head that makes for a great run! Find parking along the side of Signal Hill road near the hut at the start of the jeep track, which is only a couple of miles from the city center.
From here, you should see a set of stairs heading up the slope at the right-hand corner of the hut; this is the start of your route. This path winds around the mountain offering 360 degree views of the city bowl, Atlantic seaboard, Table Mountains, Devils Peak, Lion’s Head (of course) and Robben Island. Eventually, the path connects with Kloof Road, where you can run back up to the parking lot. Time this run during sunrise to get beautiful views over the Hottentots Holland or sunset to get views over the Atlantic on the ocean side of the mountain. Note: Several folks we talked to said it is not recommended to run this alone, especially women! Stay safe by running in groups.
Rondebosch Common
3.4 mile loop Start: Corner of Campground Rd. and Park Rd. MAP
This city park is great if you want to zone out and get great views of Table Mountain National Park. Rondebosch Commons is in the Southern Suburbs of Cape Town, about 10km southeast of the city center. The common’s circumference is 2.5km, so two laps makes an easy 5K. It is well lit and is full of runners and walkers.
Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden
MAP of Botanical Garden Trails
Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden lives up to its reputation as the most beautiful garden in Africa and one of the great botanic gardens of the world. Kirstenbosch is located along eastern slopes of Cape Town’s Table Mountain. The Garden merges seamlessly with the natural landscape of the mountain. There is an entry fee of R55 (about 4 dollars), but it is completely worth the cost. Once inside, there are plenty of trails to choose from. We would recommend the Yellowwood or Stinkwood trails. Use the map above to plan your route based on what you want to see and how long you want to run.
Muizenberg Beach
4.5 miles Start: Surfer’s Corner MAP
About 30 minutes south of the city center, Muizenberg beach is considered to be the birthplace of surfing in South Africa and is currently home to a surfing community, centered on the popular ‘Surfer’s Corner’ (the starting point for this route). The water is much warmer here than at the beaches on the Atlantic Seaboard, which makes it the preferred place for swimming. This route follows the Muizenberg — St. James Walk. It takes you along the breaking waves, with fisherman, surfers and, if you are lucky, whales. Along the beach are the quaint and quiet havens of St. James and Kalk Bay. The return route, rather than a there and back, adds some hills and great views. At the end of the walk, turn right to get to Boyes Drive and head back to the start. Don’t forget to reward yourself with a dip in the ocean at the end of your run.
If you would like a longer run, you can go under the train subway at St. James and continue the run along Kalk Bay main road. This road will take you 6 miles to Simons Town. The route runs along the coast and provides beautiful vistas. Just be aware, during high tide the waves can crash up onto the path and make it a bit slippery and wet.
Chapmans Peak
6.4 miles Start: Parking lot at the bottom of Chapmans Peak Drive MAP
If you are in search of epic views, running to the top of Chapmans Peak will not disappoint. Start out in Hout Bay, at the parking lot at the bottom of Chapmans Peak drive. This is about 20km southeast of the center. Run along the steep and winding road until to reach the top lookout point. The sea is directly next to you the entire climb up the hill, and if you’re lucky, you may spot whales. This route gains about 500 feet of elevation. Note: there is not a sidewalk or particularly wide shoulder on the road however, but it is a relatively low traffic, toll road and cars are used to runners along the route. This route is safe and very popular in the local running community.
Stay
Most of Cape Town’s hotels are located in three areas: the City Bowl, Clifton, and Camps Bay. The City Bowl is Cape Town’s commercial center. It is home to trendy neighborhoods such as Gardens, De Waterkant, and Bo-Kaap. Clifton and Camps Bay where white-sand beaches border the city’s ritziest area. From a running perspective, the Historical Cape Town, Camps Bay, Sea Point Promenade, and Lion’s Head routes are easily accessible from these areas.
Stores and Group Runs
See running overview map for store locations. Green icons indicate route starting points.
Runners Rest. Western Cape. Runners Rest is a specialist running store that focuses on “natural running”
Run Specialist Store. Cape Town. In-store video running gait analysis. Holds various running events at the store. See website for details.
The Sweat Shop. Claremont. South Africa’s largest (by sales) specialist running shop.
Kotov Sports-Specialised Running Shop. Century City.
Atlantic Athletic Running club is based at Hamiltons Rugby Club in Green Point. Visitors are welcome to join Club Runs at no charge. Please contact Club Administrator on SULLYETT@MWEB.CO.ZA if you have any queries.
Group Runs: A quick, rough guide to the regular weekly trail-running groups (CRAG / K-Way VOB / MATES / Celtics / Drifters). Various trail running groups hosting open group runs on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sundays. Details provided in link.
Events
Cape Town has numerous running events!
Road Running Events Calendars #1. Events Calendars #2.
With so many great mountains nearby, there are also lots of trail running events!
Trail Running Events Calendar #3. Events Calendar #4.
Some of the major events are:
Lion of Africa Half Marathon February. 21.1km Half Marathon,10km Run/Walk and 5km Run/Walk.
Cape Peninsula Marathon February. Marathon and Half Marathon.
Old Mutual Two Oceans Ultra and Half Marathon April. Ultra (56K) and Half Marathon (21K).
FNB Cape Town 12 ONERUN May. 12K Road Race.
Sanlam Cape Town Marathon September. Marathon, 4.2K Fun Run as well as 22K or 12K Peace Trail Run and 10K Peace Run.
Hout Bay Harriers Chappies Challenge October. 15 & 10K. Up Chapman’s Peak Drive and back with a loop in Hout Bay Village.
OUTsurance 94.5KFM Gun Run October. Half Marathon, 10K and 5K Fun Run. When the Cape Field Artillery fired their military gun in 2013, 19,525 entrants took to the streets of Cape Town, making the Gun Run the second largest road running race in the country.
Run the Vines Monthly. A series of 5K and 10K trail runs that brings runners to a different wine farm every month. After your run enjoy good food, wine and live music.
The Crazy Store Table Mountain Challenge September. One of the most sought after races on the trail running calendar. Endure the full 44km on your own, or be part of a stage team.
Muizenberg Monster April. 20K, 10K or 6K Beach Run.
Lion’s Head Challenge April. Marathon and Half Marathon Trail Run.
