The Run Cape Town Podcast

The Cape Town Marathon is back on the calendar for 2026, and Run Cape Town is back too!
Shona, Lindsey, and Ntutu kick off the new season with the golden thread that makes marathon success possible. 
They unpack why “hero weeks” derail progress, how to pace easy/long runs so you recover faster, why heart rate + feel beats pace ego, and how strength training can help you bounce back and finish strong.

Race week is here! In our series finale, Jamie and Coach Ntutu lock in your last-seven-days plan - taper do’s & don’ts, race-week nutrition, travel & expo survival (plus where to find the Coach Parry team at Café Extrablatt), and a weather-smart pacing strategy... so you arrive calm, fueled, and ready to celebrate your fitness on race day.

Two weeks to go until Cape Town Marathon! 🎉 In Episode 13 of the Run Cape Town podcast, Jamie is joined by coach Ntutu Letseka to dive deep into taper week(s)—what to cut, what to keep, how to avoid the taper blues, and how to lock in your race-day pacing strategy (including when to trust your watch vs the course markers). We also cover strength training adjustments, sleep and nutrition, getting to the start line healthy, and why a smart taper can be worth 2–5% performance gain on the day.
What you’ll learn
- Why tapering works (and how much time it can save you)
- Exactly how to structure a two-week taper (linear vs exponential drop)
- What changes (and what doesn’t): frequency, intensity, and long runs
- Strength training in taper: what to drop and when
- Sleep, nutrition, illness-avoidance, and alcohol in the final 14 days
- The taper blues: why you might feel sluggish… and why that’s normal
- GPS vs official markers: how to use pacing charts correctly
- Pacing strategy for Cape Town Marathon (incl. elevation-aware splits)

Three weeks to go until Cape Town Marathon! Jamie and Ntutu break down the final week of hard training before tapering begins, explain why “don’t test yourself now” is the golden rule, and share smart pacing strategies tailored to the Cape Town route. From early climbs, tricky descents, and weather factors to crossing the blue carpet at the stadium, this is your guide to racing strong and finishing proud.

Episode 11 of the Run Cape Town podcast lands exactly one month out from race day! Host Jamie is joined by Coach Ntutu and, later, Coach Lindsay Parry to guide you through the crucial final stretch of marathon prep. We unpack your final long run—why it’s the “dress rehearsal,” what to test (kit, fueling, hydration strategy), and what not to do (no marathon distance, no late “catch-up” miles, and save those carbon shoes for race pace). 
Then we lock in realistic race goals, using recent time trials and races to dial expectations and shape a smart pacing plan. Lindsay explains the Coach Parry pacing bands—built to the Cape Town course profile and customized to your exact goal time—and how to use them with course distance markers (not just your GPS).