Two Oceans Marathon Results Twist Leaves Runner Stunned After Top 10 Finish: “I Thought I Had It”

• Two Oceans Marathon women’s half marathon results disrupted after Karin-Mari Dötze’s Top 10 finish was revised following rule breaches
• Race entry violations involving two male runners led to disqualifications and changes in the official standings
• Dötze opened on the emotional shock of losing a breakthrough result after briefly celebrating a Top 10 placing

Two runners at the Two Oceans Marathon, held over the weekend of 11 and 12 April 2026 in Cape Town, have been disqualified after being found to have breached race rules.

The iconic event was also marked by an emotional moment earlier in the build-up, when former Comrades Marathon winner Bruce Fordyce bid farewell to the race just days before the start.

The women’s race was ultimately won by South African long-distance star Gerda Steyn, with Margaret Chepchumba taking silver and Nobuhle Nobukhosi Tshuma claiming bronze in dramatic fashion after crawling across the finish line in the closing metres.

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However, attention later shifted to controversy in the women’s half marathon standings, where two male runners were found to have competed using race numbers registered to female entrants. The breach briefly affected the official top 10 results before corrections were made.

Runner speaks out after Two Oceans Marathon disqualification

One of the runners involved has since apologised, admitting to using an entry that was not originally intended for him.

“I did not plan on participating this year. While supporting on Saturday, I was given an unused entry by an international runner for the following day. I made an error in judgment and did not consider the consequences. I should not have taken part.”

The incident has drawn attention to entry regulations and the integrity of results at one of South Africa’s most prestigious road running events.

Karin-Mari Dötze reacts to Two Oceans Marathon results shock

One of the affected athletes, Karin-Mari Dötze, speaking to the Cape Argus described the emotional impact of the shifting results after initially believing she had secured a top 10 finish.

“When I finished I heard the commentator saying I am Top 10, and my support at the end of the race made it very clear as well. My phone was going crazy. It felt so unreal but real at the same time. I was so happy and grateful,” she said.

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But the celebration was short-lived.

“About 30 minutes later, I asked a friend to refresh the results, just to check whether I’m dreaming or not, and that’s when the whole dream turned into a nightmare showing I am suddenly 12th,” Dötze said.

She added that the experience left her disappointed but reflective.

“I told myself it’s okay, if they really ran faster I’ll just train harder for next year. Everyone deserves their spot if they ran faster,” she said.

Watch the reel below:

Runner claims he was robbed during the race

Briefly News previously reported that a Two Oceans Marathon runner claimed he was robbed over the weekend during the ultra-marathon race in Cape Town while he was running.

On Sunday, a fellow runner at the marathon, Oscar Von Platen, took to social media to report that he had a horrible experience after a robbery ruined his day.

Source: Briefly News