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Two Oceans Ultra · Saturday, 3 April 2027 (expected)The Two Oceans blue medal: what it takes
The Two Oceans blue medal is for everyone finishing from six hours to inside the seven-hour cut-off. That is an average of 7:30 per kilometre over 56 km, and as a guide it takes a marathon of about 4:56:00or faster; quicker than about 4:13:00 points to the medal above. Type your own marathon to see where you land.
On that marathon, aim for Blue.
Every medal, and what it takes
| Medal | Finish under | Pace | Marathon needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silver | 4:00:00 | 4:17/km | about 2:48:58 |
| Sainsbury | 5:00:00 | 5:21/km | about 3:31:12 |
| Bronze | 6:00:00 | 6:26/km | about 4:13:26 |
| Blue | 7:00:00 | 7:30/km | about 4:55:41 |
The numbers for the Blue
| Finish | 6:00:00 to 6:59:59 |
|---|---|
| Average pace | 7:30/km for the cut-off; 7:25/km for a five-minute margin (6:55:00) |
| Even-pace halfway | 3:30:00 at 28 km — and the second half is slower for nearly everyone, so be ahead of it |
| Marathon that points to it | about 4:56:00 (faster than 4:13:00 points to the medal above) |
| The same fitness at shorter races | half marathon about 2:24:00 · 10 km about 1:05:00 |
| Race day | Saturday, 3 April 2027 (expected) |
Where the name comes from
The blue medal goes to the finishers between six and seven hours — the window added when the cut-off was extended to seven hours.
How people earn it
With a qualifying marathon near five hours, the cut-off is the opponent. Run–walk from the start, know the intermediate cut-offs, and keep moving through the aid stations.
For that fitness, Race Shape would set easy runs no faster than 7:48/km (8:27/km if you train in Johannesburg), marathon pace about 7:02/km and threshold about 6:39/km. A full 20-week block for the Two Oceans starts on Monday Monday, 9 November 2026; a plan built later counts back from race day and fits the weeks that are left.
Medal standards as published by the race organisers. Check the official rules for the year you run before you plan around a cut-off.
Build my Blue plan — free to buildSee your whole block before you pay.
Common questions
What time do you need for a Two Oceans blue medal?
6:00:00 to 6:59:59: everyone finishing from six hours to inside the seven-hour cut-off.
What marathon time do I need for a Two Oceans blue medal?
As a guide, about 4:56:00 or faster. Real finishers average about 1.42× their marathon over this distance, so a marginal qualifier is rarely enough on the day.
What pace is a Two Oceans blue medal?
7:30 per kilometre on average to finish at the cut-off. With walk breaks, your running pace has to be quicker than that.
When should I start training for the Two Oceans blue medal?
A full 20-week block for the Saturday, 3 April 2027 (expected) race starts on Monday Monday, 9 November 2026, on top of a marathon base. Start dates for every race.