Two marathoners survive horrific incident in South Africa
Security footage captured the moment a driver struck the two runners on a pedestrian path along an oceanside road
(Warning: This article contains graphic content that might be sensitive to some readers.)
On Sunday, two runners training for the Two Oceans Marathon in South Africa experienced a terrifying incident on their final long run. A man and a woman, running against traffic on the pedestrian path of an oceanside road, were struck by an oncoming driver, who was later found to be impaired. The impact threw both runners airborne over the wall that separates the road from the cliffs. Miraculously, both survived.
The incident occurred at 7:40 a.m. on Victoria Road in Cape Town. The runners were part of a local run club completing their final Sunday long run in preparation for the 56km ultramarathon. A nearby security camera captured the moment the driver collided with the runners.
A video shows the moment a drunk driver ploughed into two runners on Victoria Road in Bantry Bay on 30 March 2025. The runners were training for the Two Oceans Marathon and were flung over the edge by the driver – luckily, there were no deaths. pic.twitter.com/n2eBvOAlQT
— 2oceansvibe News – South African online news (@2oceansvibe) April 2, 2025
According to local news, the man has since been discharged from the hospital with no broken bones, while the woman, who had to be rescued by the fire department, is in stable condition. A medical doctor from the run club, who was a few hundred metres behind at the time of the incident, rushed to assist the two runners.
Pippa Green, a member of the same run club, shared her reaction to the incident on Facebook: “I almost joined this group this morning—they are from my club—but went up the mountain instead. Sunday was our last training run before Two Oceans. It’s just shocking that a driver can plough into them on the pavement. I hope he is held accountable and the two injured runners recover.”
Another runner wrote that this route is a daily training path for many runners and clubs, typically at the same time of day.
The driver was arrested by the South African Police Service (SAPS) for driving under the influence of alcohol and reckless and negligent driving. It remains unclear whether additional charges will be filed.
Check out the latest buyer's guide:
