START REGION
HERMANUS
Discover where every story begins.
WHERE THE JOURNEY BEGINS.
SUNDAY, 5 SEPTEMBER 2027 | 05:00
The inaugural Cape100 begins in Hermanus, where athletes will gather before sunrise to take on 100 kilometres of road running towards Stellenbosch.
The start line is located on the R43, between Hemel-en-Aarde and Onrus, Hermanus (Street Start).
With a 05:00 start, athletes should plan their arrival carefully and allow sufficient time to access the available facilities, complete the Cape100 Fan Walk and reach their designated starting batch.
THE START VENUE.
The start precinct will be established along a designated section of the R43, with controlled athlete access, event infrastructure, race officials and safety personnel.
The final precinct layout, access points and road closure arrangements will be communicated ahead of race weekend.
ARRIVING IN HERMANUS.
Whale Coast Mall will serve as the primary Cape100 athlete arrival hub on race morning.
All official pre-race Athlete Transfers will arrive at Whale Coast Mall. Athletes travelling by private vehicle, e-hailing services or arranged drop-off should use the designated arrival and drop-off areas at the mall.
ATHLETE ARRIVAL HUB
- Designated athlete arrival and drop-off areas
- Race-morning toilet facilities
- Food and beverage vendors
- Standard and Premium Bag Drop services
- Access to the Cape100 Fan Walk
LONG-STAY PARKING
Athletes with a valid Curro Hermanus Long-Stay Parking reservation will walk approximately 1 km directly to the start precinct. They do not need to travel via Whale Coast Mall unless they intend to use its facilities or Race-Morning Bag Drop.
Athletes travelling independently should allow enough time for their own race-morning requirements, the approximately 1.5 km Cape100 Fan Walk and access to their assigned starting batch before 05:00.
THE CAPE100 FAN WALK.
Approximately 1.5 km | Whale Coast Mall to the start.
The Cape100 Fan Walk is the designated pedestrian route connecting Whale Coast Mall to the official start precinct. This controlled route will guide athletes towards the start line while reducing vehicle congestion around the starting area.
Athletes should allow sufficient time to complete the walk, particularly if they intend to use Bag Drop, food and beverage vendors or toilet facilities before proceeding to the start.
The final pedestrian route, signage and access arrangements will be published on the official Start Region map.
ENTERING THE START PRECINCT.
Access to the start precinct will be managed through designated athlete entry points. Athletes must follow the directions of Cape100 officials, marshals and security personnel when entering the precinct and moving towards their allocated starting batches.
All athletes will be required to assemble according to their assigned seeding.
ONE MASS START. 05:00.
The inaugural Cape100 is planned as one mass start at 05:00 on Sunday, 5 September 2027. Athletes will be positioned in seeded starting batches according to their qualifying performances.
ELITE & AGE-GROUP FRONT BATCH
Elite athletes and eligible age-group athletes who elect to start in the designated front batch will line up at the front of the field.
The proposed timing method for this batch is gun-to-mat, with race time commencing at the starting signal.
GENERAL SEEDED BATCHES
All remaining athletes will assemble in their allocated seeded batches behind the front field.
The proposed timing method is mat-to-mat, with individual time commencing when the athlete crosses the official start timing mat.
All batches will commence together as part of the single 05:00 mass start, with athletes moving across the start line in their allocated order. All athletes must cross the official start timing mat to register an official start.
Timing arrangements are provisional. Final timing methods, official results and placing rules, front-batch eligibility, seeding allocations and batch access procedures will be confirmed with the timing provider and relevant athletics officials before race weekend.
ATHLETE FACILITIES.
Race-morning toilet facilities will be available at Whale Coast Mall, with additional facilities planned for the start precinct.
Food and beverage vendors will also operate at Whale Coast Mall for athletes requiring refreshments before the race.
Athletes are encouraged to make use of these facilities before proceeding along the Cape100 Fan Walk. The final location and distribution of facilities will be shown on the official Start Region map.
BAG DROP SERVICES.
Every Cape100 athlete receives an official Cape100 Athlete Gear Bag as part of their entry. Bag Drop is a separate, optional paid service for athletes wishing to hand over their belongings for transport to, or storage until collection at, the finish at Blaauwklippen Wine Estate.
STANDARD BAG DROP
One official Cape100 Athlete Gear Bag only.
Standard does not permit an alternative, oversized or additional personal bag.
PREMIUM BAG DROP
One official Cape100 Athlete Gear Bag plus one additional approved personal bag.
Additional bags must comply with the published size and weight requirements.
Race-Morning Bag Drop: Whale Coast Mall only. Closes at 04:10; no bags accepted after this time.
Advance Bag Drop Handover: Blaauwklippen Wine Estate during athlete registration on Friday, 3 September and Saturday, 4 September 2027, for athletes with a valid Bag Drop booking.
Bag Collection: Designated Bag Collection facility at Blaauwklippen Wine Estate after the race.
There will be no race-morning Bag Drop facilities at official Athlete Transfer boarding hubs or Long-Stay Parking hubs.
Permitted luggage may be carried on a booked pre-race coach without an additional luggage transport charge. This is different from handing bags over for Bag Drop.
PLAN YOUR TRANSFER.
Athletes requiring official pre-race Athlete Transfers or Long-Stay Parking must make their arrangements in advance.
Curro Hermanus is the planned designated Long-Stay Parking facility in the start region, approximately 1 km from the start. Athletes parking there will walk to the start; no pre-race coach operates from Curro.
Additional Long-Stay Parking and official Athlete Transfer hubs are planned for Van der Stel, Coetzenburg and Somerset West. There is no Long-Stay Parking at Whale Coast Mall or within the start precinct.
For departure hubs, parking reservations, transfer schedules, post-race transport and Bag Drop rules, visit the dedicated Athlete Transfers, Parking & Bag Drop page.
For the full race-weekend programme, including official Athlete Transfer check-in and departure windows, refer to the Event Schedule.
ROAD CLOSURES & ACCESS.
Temporary road closures and traffic management measures will be implemented in and around the start precinct to ensure a safe and organised race start. Athletes, supporters and local residents should anticipate restricted vehicle access near the R43 start area.
The official traffic management plan will identify:
- Road closures and restricted-access areas
- Designated drop-off and arrival locations
- Pedestrian access routes
- Start precinct entry points
- Emergency and operational access routes
Detailed road closure and race-morning access information will be provided soon.
START REGION MAP.
The official Cape100 Start Region map will provide an overview of the Hermanus start precinct and surrounding athlete facilities, including:
- Official R43 start line
- Whale Coast Mall athlete arrival hub
- Cape100 Fan Walk
- Standard and Premium Bag Drop facilities
- Toilets and food and beverage vendors
- Curro Hermanus Long-Stay Parking
- Athlete entry points and seeded starting batches
- Road closures and restricted-access areas
IMPORTANT RACE-MORNING INFORMATION.
Athletes should allow sufficient time to complete the Cape100 Fan Walk, access their allocated starting batch and prepare for the start.
The provisional coach arrival window applies only to booked official Athlete Transfers, not to athletes travelling independently. Final departure and arrival schedules will be communicated separately on the Athlete Transfers, Parking & Bag Drop page.