Nelson Mandela Half Marathon weather.
Typically 17°C on race morning; rain in 6 of the last 10 years. Race morning (07:00 to 11:00 local time) in Cape Town on race day in each of the last 10 years; the 2027 race is on Date TBA · expected Oct 2027.
- Typical
- 17°C (63°F)
- race-morning average
- Coolest
- 12°C (54°F)
- lowest reading, 07:00–11:00
- Warmest
- 22°C (72°F)
- highest reading, 07:00–11:00
- Wet years
- 6 of 10
- rain, drizzle or worse
- Humidity
- 74%
- typical
- Wind
- 18 km/h
- typical, at 10 m
Race morning, 07:00–11:00
Year by year
| Race day | Average | Low–high | Humidity | Wind | Rain | Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Oct 2026 | 15°C (58°F) | 14°C (57°F)–15°C (59°F) | 69% | 16 km/h | 0.5 mm | Light drizzle |
| 19 Oct 2025 | 18°C (65°F) | 15°C (59°F)–21°C (70°F) | 55% | 25 km/h | 0.0 mm | Clear |
| 20 Oct 2024 | 17°C (63°F) | 15°C (58°F)–20°C (68°F) | 49% | 26 km/h | 0.0 mm | Clear |
| 15 Oct 2023 | 19°C (65°F) | 15°C (59°F)–22°C (72°F) | 63% | 20 km/h | 0.0 mm | Clear |
| 16 Oct 2022 | 20°C (68°F) | 17°C (62°F)–22°C (72°F) | 72% | 7 km/h | 3.1 mm | Partly cloudy |
| 17 Oct 2021 | 14°C (57°F) | 12°C (53°F)–16°C (60°F) | 75% | 8 km/h | 0.2 mm | Light drizzle |
| 18 Oct 2020 | 16°C (61°F) | 14°C (56°F)–18°C (64°F) | 79% | 7 km/h | 0.2 mm | Light drizzle |
| 20 Oct 2019 | 18°C (65°F) | 16°C (60°F)–20°C (69°F) | 76% | 8 km/h | 0.4 mm | Light drizzle |
| 14 Oct 2018 | 16°C (61°F) | 14°C (58°F)–17°C (63°F) | 78% | 26 km/h | 0.0 mm | Mainly clear |
| 15 Oct 2017 | 14°C (57°F) | 13°C (55°F)–15°C (58°F) | 91% | 24 km/h | 6.2 mm | Light drizzle |
Each row is the race's date that year where we know it, else the same weekday nearest its usual date. Temperatures and humidity are averaged over 07:00 to 11:00 local time, rain is the total over those hours, and conditions are the commonest over the morning.
Kit and pacing
What it means
Warm: adjust your goal pace
Around 17°C on race morning costs most runners time. Plan to run a few seconds per kilometer slower than in cool weather, take on fluid and salt at every station, and wear light colors and sun cream.
Be ready for rain
It rained on 6 of the last 10 race mornings. A bin bag or cheap poncho keeps you dry in the start pen; anti-chafe balm and socks that don't hold water help over the distance, and a cap keeps rain out of your eyes.
Expect wind
Wind was 18 km/h on a typical morning here. Run in a group on exposed stretches, and aim for even effort rather than even splits: time lost into a headwind isn't all won back with it behind you.
General guidance from past years' numbers. Check the forecast in race week.
Weather data by Open-Meteo.com, from its historical weather archive (CC BY 4.0).