SLAVE ROUTE CHALLENGE, A JOURNEY THROUGH CAPE TOWN’S HISTORY

When the roughly 8,000 runners take on the Slave Route Challenge later this month, it will be more than just a race.

It will be a journey tracing the history of Cape Town.

The Slave Route Challenge, taking place on 1 June 2025, follows a route steeped in Cape Town’s layered past, retracing the paths once walked by slaves and honouring the city’s heritage.

Starting on Darling Street, in front of the iconic City Hall, runners have the choice of a 21km half marathon, a 10km walk or run and a 5km fun run.

Each race takes them on a unique course through sites that speak to the resilience, suffering, and legacy of the enslaved people who helped build Cape Town.

Historic landmarks runners pass through include:

• District Six, once home to a vibrant community uprooted by apartheid’s Group Areas Act.
• Company’s Garden, cultivated by enslaved labour to feed colonial settlers.
• Bo-Kaap, rich in Cape Malay heritage and home to the descendants of enslaved people from Indonesia and Malaysia.
• Green Point Urban Park and Fort Wynyard, where enslaved people once toiled under colonial rule.
• The Castle of Good Hope, a site of past imprisonment and slave auctions.

Runners also pass through historical landmarks such as the Whipping Post (corner of Buitenkant and Darling streets), Gallows Hill (Somerset Road, Green Point) and the Slave Tree Plaque (Spin Street).

KOEKSISTER HILL

At around the 8km mark on the 21km route and the 6km for the 10km race, runners meet their toughest challenge – Koeksister Hill.

Winding steeply through the Bo-Kaap, this famous incline tests the runner’s resolve. It’s a symbolic climb through one of the city’s oldest and most culturally rich neighbourhoods.

Summiting the notorious slope is rewarded with delectable fresh Cape Malay Koeksisters—sweet, spiced, and homemade with love.

Coupled with sweeping views of the City Bowl and Table Mountain, the top of Koeksister Hill is where you experience the warm hospitality of the people of the Bo-Kaap.

They offer the sweet delicacy and provide hydration and encouragement for the runners on their journey.

Koeksister Hill is a moment of connection between runners and community, past and present, effort and reward.

RACE DAY INFORMATION

From the Bo-Kaap, the 21-km race passes through several neighbourhoods, including De Waterkant, the Green Point Precinct, and Main Road, before returning to the CBD and finishing on the Grand Parade.

The race will affect several roads in the CBD and the surrounding area.

This includes:

• Darling Street between Plein and Buitenkant streets (Full Closure)
• Lower Buitenkant Street between Strand and Darling streets
• Sir Lowry Road (westbound) between Tennant and Buitenkant streets
• Hanover Street between Tennant Street and Sir Lowry Road
• Hanover Street between Christiaan and Tennant streets
• Hatfield Street between Roeland and Orange streets

The race will also impact several MyCiTi routes on Sunday, 1 June 2025.

Route 101, 103 and 111

The section of Darling Street between Buitenkant Street and Plein Street will be closed from the start of services until 11:30.

Routes 101, 103, and 111 will be diverted onto Strand Street and Castle Street. During the road closure period, the following stops will be affected.

• Adderley – 101 (Southbound direction), 103 (Both directions), and 111 (Northbound direction)
• Lower Plein – (Both directions)
  Lower Buitenkant Street – (Both directions)
• Government Avenue – 111 (Eastbound only)

Route 102

Darling Street, between Buitenkant Street and Plein Street, will be closed from the start of services until 11:30 AM.

Route 102 will be diverted onto Strand Street and Russell Street. The following stops will be affected:

• Darling – Both directions
• The Castle – Both directions
• Hanover Street – Both directions
• CPUT – Both directions
• District Six – Civic Centre direction

Route 109 and 118

Somerset Road, between Ebenezer Road and Chiappini Street, will be closed (Lane Closure) from the start of services until 11:00.

In this section of the road, route 109 and 118 buses will miss the Alfred stop (Eastbound direction).