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Cape100 Entries Are Open: R3,000, With 7,000 Places in the Inaugural Field

Cape100 Entries Are Open: R3,000, With 7,000 Places in the Inaugural Field

Cape100 entries opened this morning at 08:00 for athletes on the Founding List, with public entries following on Wednesday 30 September at 08:00. The inaugural 100km road ultra costs R3,000 for South Africans, R3,950 for the rest of Africa and R6,950 for international athletes, the field is capped at 7,000, and entries are first come, first served. Entries are non-refundable, with a paid withdrawal option in April 2027.

The short version

The Founding List closed on Wednesday night, and this morning at 08:00 the first entries for the inaugural Cape100 went live. Everything we were waiting on is now published: the fees, the field size and the withdrawal rules.

  • Race day: Sunday, 5 September 2027, 05:00 start in Hermanus, 100km to the Stellenbosch Winelands
  • Priority entries: open now until Tuesday, 29 September at 23:59, Founding List only
  • Public entries: Wednesday, 30 September at 08:00
  • Field: capped at 7,000, first come, first served in both windows
  • Fees: R3,000 South Africa, R3,950 rest of Africa, R6,950 international
  • Payment plan: pay in full, or 50% now and two monthly instalments
  • Qualifier: an officially timed road marathon in 4:59:59 or faster, run between 1 January 2026 and 31 May 2027
  • Refunds: none, but there is a withdrawal window in April 2027 that can get you 85% back

Entries are on entries.cape100.com. Race day is 345 days away.

Which window is yours

If you joined the Founding List before Wednesday's deadline, you can enter right now. Priority entries run from Friday 25 September at 08:00 to Tuesday 29 September at 23:59. It is a limited allocation, first come, first served, and the organisers have not said how many of the 7,000 places are in it. Use the same email address you signed up with, because that is how the entry platform knows you are on the list.

If the priority allocation runs out before you get in, you have not lost your chance. Founding List athletes can try again in the public window.

If you did not join the Founding List, your morning is Wednesday 30 September at 08:00. Everything left over from the priority window goes on sale then, also first come, first served.

There is no ballot here. Unlike Comrades 2027, where half the field went to a draw, Cape100 is a straight race to the entry form. Set a reminder for 07:55 on Wednesday and have your ASA licence number ready.

What it costs

The inaugural entry fees:

  • South African athletes: R3,000
  • Rest of Africa: R3,950
  • International: R6,950

You can pay in full, or secure your place with a 50% deposit and two monthly instalments. For a South African entry that works out to R1,500 now and R750 a month for two months. Keep up with the instalments, because the entry terms say a missed payment can get your entry cancelled.

For context, that is well above the R1,200 Comrades charges South Africans. It is also a new race building its own 100km course from scratch, and the entry is clear about where the money goes:

  • The race: 30 to 33 water points including major aid stations, on-route nutrition, timing and live tracking, medical support and the Black Carpet finish
  • The kit: an official technical tee, a cap, athlete gear and the finisher medal
  • The legacy: a permanent Cape100 number, Founding Member status for life, the black Founding Member race number, and priority access to future entries

The optional shuttle to the Hermanus start is not included, so budget for it separately if you need it.

Read this before you pay: entries are non-refundable

This is the part to know before you click enter. Cape100 entries are non-refundable, and you cannot sell, swap or hand your entry to a friend.

What there is instead is an official Withdrawal and Substitution Process:

  • Withdrawal period, 1 to 30 April 2027: if you cannot run, you release your entry back to Cape100
  • Substitution period, May 2027: released entries go to new athletes, through the waiting list first if one exists
  • If your entry is taken up, you get 85% of your entry fee back, with 15% kept as an admin fee
  • If nobody takes it, there is no refund

You cannot nominate your own substitute. Whoever takes your place enters and pays Cape100 directly, and has to meet the qualifying and licence rules on their own.

In plain terms: if you enter now and get injured in March, April is your one shot at getting most of your money back, and it depends on demand. With 7,000 places and a first-year race, we would not bet on a long waiting list. Enter because you mean it.

What you need to start

Entering and starting are two different things. You can take an entry today without a qualifier, but you only make the start line if all of this is in place by the deadlines:

  • A qualifier: an officially timed 42.2km road marathon in 4:59:59 or faster, between 1 January 2026 and 31 May 2027
  • Submitted in time: results must be submitted and accepted by 7 June 2027. Submissions open on 1 October 2026
  • No GPS files: Garmin and Strava records do not count, and neither do trail marathons or ultras
  • South Africans need a club and a licence: membership of an ASA-affiliated club and a permanent 2027 ASA licence. Temporary licences are not accepted
  • Age: 20 or older on race day

That licence rule is worth a second look if you race mostly parkruns and the odd fun run on temporary numbers. You will need to join a club for 2027. If you are looking for one, our club directory is a good place to start.

And the good news from last week still stands: one sub-5:00 marathon covers both Cape100 and Comrades 2027. The Comrades window (15 June 2026 to 3 May 2027) sits inside the Cape100 one.

Dates to diarise

  • Friday 25 September 2026, 08:00: priority entries open for the Founding List
  • Tuesday 29 September, 23:59: priority entries close
  • Wednesday 30 September, 08:00: public entries open
  • Thursday 1 October: qualifying result submissions open
  • October 2026: the race director and inaugural team are due to be introduced
  • 1 to 30 April 2027: withdrawal period
  • May 2027: substitution period
  • 31 May 2027: last day to run your qualifier, and entries close at 23:59
  • 7 June 2027: qualifying results must be submitted and accepted
  • Sunday 13 June 2027: the 100th Comrades, 12 weeks before Cape100
  • Sunday 5 September 2027, 05:00: Cape100, with a 15-hour cut-off at 20:00

Founding List? You are up now. Priority entries close on Tuesday at 23:59. Everyone else, Wednesday 30 September at 08:00 is your morning, so set the alarm. Once you are in, the qualifier is the job. Find a road marathon, then build your plan: Cape100 is already in the race plan builder, so you can plan straight through to 5 September 2027. And send this to the running friend who has been saying "one day" about a 100km.