City and GOOD party clash over Cape Town Marathon road closures
Despite the flak it received from GOOD, the Cape Town Marathon was a runaway success.
Image: Ayanda Ndamane/ Independent Media
Tensions have intensified between the GOOD party and the City of Cape Town over the recent road closures for the Cape Town Marathon. GOOD claims that the closures prevented residents from reaching their workplaces, leading to lost wages.
The very successful Cape Town Marathon shut down major routes through the CBD, Atlantic Seaboard and southern suburbs on race day.
The World Athletics Gold Label event brings thousands of runners to the city each year, but the road closures needed to run it have drawn complaints from residents, according to GOOD councillor Roscoe Palm.
Along the Atlantic Seaboard, the affected routes included Helen Suzman Boulevard, Beach Road in Sea Point and Mouille Point, and Granger Bay Boulevard.
In the city centre and surrounds, closures affected Nelson Mandela Boulevard, Somerset Road in Green Point, Buitengracht Street, Darling Street, Long Street, and Adderley Street.
In the southern suburbs, Liesbeek Parkway in Observatory and Mowbray was also impacted.
Palm said the party had received reports from people in Woodstock, Salt River, Walmer Estate and nearby areas who could not leave their neighbourhoods or get to work.
“The GOOD Party has been inundated with reports from residents in Woodstock, Salt River, Walmer Estate, and surrounding areas who were effectively held hostage in their own neighbourhoods by excessive and poorly communicated road closures,” Palm said.
“It is unacceptable that hardworking residents, many of whom rely on daily wages, were denied access to their places of work, including the V&A Waterfront and the CBD.
“Current restrictions for events appear to be getting more heavy-handed and restrictive to residents with each passing year."
He said GOOD supported tourism and the prestige that events bring to the Mother City.
"But Cape Town must work for all residents, all of the time," he said.
"We cannot prioritise the convenience of a marathon route at the expense of local economic participation and the mobility of our people."
In response, the city said planning for the marathon starts months before the race and includes meetings with ward councillors, businesses and residents.
“Planning for major events taking place in Cape Town happens over several months with multiple meetings to coordinate safety, road closures, noise management, and various other logistical measures,” said the city's safety and security political head JP Smith.
“The city's goal, in planning alongside event organisers, is to ensure a balance between the needs of the event and those of the broader Cape Town community,” Smith said.
Smith said organisers started meeting with affected areas in November 2025 and handed out about 15,000 pamphlets with closure details.
“In areas where on-street parking was restricted for the marathon, residents were provided with alternative safe parking space for their vehicles until after the race,” Smith said.
The Cape Town Marathon has been held every year since 2014.