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Two Oceans Ultra · Saturday, 3 April 2027 (expected)The Two Oceans silver medal: what it takes
The Two Oceans silver medal is for everyone outside the top ten finishing in under four hours. That is an average of 4:17 per kilometre over 56 km, and as a guide it takes a marathon of about 2:49:00or faster. Type your own marathon to see where you land.
On that marathon, aim for Silver.
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 Silver
| Finish | under 4:00:00 |
|---|---|
| Average pace | 4:17/km for the cut-off; 4:12/km for a five-minute margin (3:55:00) |
| Even-pace halfway | 2:00:00 at 28 km — and the second half is slower for nearly everyone, so be ahead of it |
| Marathon that points to it | about 2:49:00 |
| The same fitness at shorter races | half marathon about 1:21:00 · 10 km about 37:00 |
| Race day | Saturday, 3 April 2027 (expected) |
Where the name comes from
The Two Oceans silver is one of the hardest medals in South African road running: a sub-four over 56 km, with Chapman’s Peak and Constantia Nek in the way, goes to a small share of the field.
How people earn it
Silver runners usually have a marathon under 2:50 and race the first 28 km at a pace they could hold all day, so Chapman’s Peak and Constantia Nek are climbed rather than survived.
For that fitness, Race Shape would set easy runs no faster than 4:34/km (4:56/km if you train in Johannesburg), marathon pace about 4:06/km and threshold about 3:52/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 Silver plan — free to buildSee your whole block before you pay.
Common questions
What time do you need for a Two Oceans silver medal?
Under 4:00:00: everyone outside the top ten finishing in under four hours.
What marathon time do I need for a Two Oceans silver medal?
As a guide, about 2:49:00 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 silver medal?
4:17 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 silver 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.