Cape Town Marathon Maurten Mile challenge

Did you attempt the Maurten Mile

Congratulations on completing the 2026 Cape Town Marathon. Fill in the Maurten Mile here if you have attempted to run a Maurten mile.

It’s all about pacing. 

Fueling for a marathon is a science on its own. It’s something which you get right — or you get wrong. Maurten has made it simpler to dial in your nutrition so you can go further and feel better — for longer. The introduction of Hydrogel Technology into the sports nutrition world has changed the game of fueling. It has allowed athletes to excel — when before, they would struggle. It’s important to have a nutrition plan is important — to ensure you take in the required carbohydrates to carry you from start to finish.

Your fueling strategy is key to your pacing strategy.

Setting out to run a marathon is no easy feat. It’s important to focus on the goal and the steps needed to finish. One of these steps is fueling at regular intervals to ensure your energy input matches your energy output. Enter the Fuel Planner

Try the Maurten Fuel Planner on Maurten.com

Maurten has developed a digital tool called the Maurten Fuel Planner for this exact reason.

Endurance is an Art. Fueling is the key.

Secure a Cape Town Marathon box designed for the marathon distance which includes our exclusive Cape Town ’26 bottle — click here to get your race day fuel.

It’s not how you start.

When there is one mile of the marathon to go, the end is already in sight — the hard work is done. You got the fueling right. You’re visualizing the finish line. Tired, but focused — you know what needs to be done. Start increasing your speed. Stay positive. It’s only one mile.

It’s how you finish.

The challenge of running a Maurten Mile is bittersweet. It is a tough challenge to undertake — and a sweet reward to cherish at the end of a marathon. Going out too fast can set you up for failure. Taking a measured approach to a marathon is far more likely to mean success in getting your goal time.

You’ve got this. Finish strong.

How you finish is more important than the time you finish in. The Maurten Mile is a race within a race. How you arrive at the start of the Maurten Mile is going to determine your success. Take our advice on fueling and pacing to get it right.

The patience and discipline to hold back — while you are passed by other runners — can feel like you are running too slowly. But you have a bigger goal — running at your pace. You have taken the challenge to run the hardest mile. It’s personal. What other people are doing doesn’t matter.

What is a Maurten Mile?

To run a successful Maurten Mile takes planning. Run the 26th mile of the marathon in a faster time than the previous 25 miles. It’s a daring feat. But it is possible with a solid fueling strategy and patience in your pacing. Using your watch to inform you about your pace per mile, you need to know what your fastest mile was for the first 25 miles — and then run Mile 26 faster than the previous 25 miles of the marathon.

When is it happening?

The next Maurten Mile is being held in Cape Town — on 24 May at the 2026 Cape Town Marathon. You need to take part in the Maurten Mile challenge at the 2026 Cape Town Marathon to be eligible.

Check the details of the challenge below.

Maurten Strava club: Click here

Maurten Mile Strava Segment: Click here

What’s in it for you ­— besides the bragging rights that you ran a Maurten Mile?

Everyone who runs a Maurten Mile will be entered into a draw — 100 people will receive the Maurten Test Collection Box from Maurten South Africa, delivered to their door.

So how do you participate?

  • Join the Maurten South Africa Strava club and the Strava event — and check out the Maurten Mile segment.
  • Set your watch to track the distance in miles.
  • Arrive on race day and run the 2026 Cape Town Marathon.
  • Keep track of your fastest mile in the marathon — run a faster pace during mile 26, known as the Maurten Mile.
  • At mile 22, fuel up in preparation for running the Maurten Mile at mile 26. Take a Maurten Gel 100.
  • At the end of mile 25, pick up your speed to run your fastest mile at mile 26.
  • After the marathon, return to this page to fill out a short questionnaire that will be linked below — this will be necessary to submit your entry. The questionnaire will be available once the marathon is finished until 25 June.

Terms and conditions

  • All participants who attempt a Maurten Mile can submit their times.
  • 100 names will be drawn from the valid submissions randomly to select the winners.
  • If there are less than 100 valid entries, then any Maurten Mile attempts that are close to successfully completing the challenge will be entered.
  • In order to be eligible, all participants must fill out the questionnaire and submit by 25 June.

Good luck at Cape Town Marathon and the Maurten Mile. You got this.