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Cape Town Toy Run 2026: Times, Routes and What Toys to Bring
The 44th Cape Town Toy Run rides to Killarney on Sunday 29 November 2026: start times at N1 City and Athlone, the new route, the bands, what toys to bring and the new schools challenge.
On Sunday 29 November 2026, thousands of Cape Town riders will strap toys to their motorcycles and ride to Killarney for the 44th Cape Town Toy Run. Entry costs nothing but a toy, and every one of them ends up with a child who needs it.
Forty-four Years Without a Break
The Toy Run began in 1983, when members of the Italian Motorcycle Owners Club in Johannesburg and Cape Town decided to collect toys for children over Christmas. Seventy-six motorcycles took part that first year, and the toys went to St Michael’s Home in Plumstead. It has run every year since, and the Cape Town Charity Toy Run Trust, registered by club members in 1997, describes it as the longest-running motorcycle charity event in the world.
The scale has changed beyond recognition. More than 600,000 toys have been collected in Cape Town alone, and the run is now a whole day out: a mass ride through the city in the morning, then a music festival at Killarney International Raceway where the price of admission is a toy. It is run by volunteers, from the marshals at the start venues to the people who sort and pack every donation before Christmas.
Sunday 29 November: Where and When to Meet
There are two start venues, and you pick the one that suits you. Both open for riders from 08:30. At the N1 City Mall upper-deck parking, where about 2,000 riders are expected, the ride leaves at 10:00, with marshalling by the Alphas MCC and the MOTHS Motorcycle Association, and the N1 City food court on hand for coffee. At Athlone Stadium, where around 500 riders gather, the ride leaves at about 10:30, with volunteers from the Odysseus MCC and the Cape Town MCC marshalling.
Riders leave each venue in “pods”, small groups with a gap between them, and the two starts are timed half an hour apart so the groups do not merge on the way. It is a slow, marshalled parade on public roads, so normal road rules apply the whole way. Keep your spacing, stay in your pod and enjoy the waves from the pavements.
You do not have to ride in the parade to take part. If you would rather go straight to Killarney, you can, and you can drive there too. The posters put it simply: come by car, come by bus, everybody is welcome.
The New Route From N1 City
The route from N1 City has changed this year, and the Trust has asked riders to note that the route still shown on its website is no longer correct. The 2026 route leaves N1 City onto Louwtjie Rothman Street, turns left onto Giel Basson Drive (M12) and carries straight on over the N1 bridge. At the Tygerberg Valley Road (M13) intersection it turns left and runs through Richwood to the De Grendel circle, where it takes the third exit onto Plattekloof Road (M14) and follows the M14 all the way to Killarney. It is about 14.3 km.
A Music Festival Where the Ticket Is a Toy
Killarney is where the toys are handed over, and where the day turns into a festival. The main event runs from 10:00 to 16:00, and entry to the event arena is the donation of a toy, or several. Three live bands play this year: Akkedis, the Richard Pryor Band and Tuxedo.
There are food trucks, six bars (the bar area opens at 11:00), market stalls, bike and car displays and a jumping castle for the children, which is why so many families come without a motorcycle at all. VIP tickets for the balcony are sold separately on Quicket.
Register Before You Go
Entry is free, and the Trust asks everyone, if possible, to register on Quicket first, even if you are not riding and are only coming to Killarney. Registering helps the organisers plan the day, and the same page sells VIP tickets and takes donations. It is not compulsory, though: if you have not registered, bring your toy and come anyway. The Trust also runs a Toy Run 2026 WhatsApp group for updates, linked from the Quicket page.
What Toys to Bring
Gifts are welcome for children of every age, from babies to 18-year-olds. The things that make the biggest difference are soft toys and teddy bears, plastic and fabric dolls, board games and packs of cards such as UNO and Snap, cricket bats and tennis rackets, soccer, rugby, cricket and tennis balls, toy cars, stationery packs, toiletries, educational toys and activity packs, books, and jewellery and cosmetics for teenage girls.
The Trust makes a special plea for older children and teenagers, who are the easiest to forget when people shop for toys. A few rules keep every gift usable. No guns of any kind, and nothing that needs batteries to work. Please do not wrap your gift, because every item is checked before it goes to a child. Small things such as stationery and cosmetics can go together in a clear plastic bag, and the little toys that come with fast-food meals should stay at home.
Tie your toy on properly before you set off. A teddy bear on the tank is part of the fun; a teddy bear on the M14 is not. Smaller gifts travel best in a top box or a tank bag.
The New Schools Challenge
This year the Trust is taking the Toy Run into classrooms. Its volunteers are visiting primary schools to tell learners what the Toy Run does, and collection boxes go into classrooms and walkways for learners to drop off pre-loved toys and other gifts. The Trust collects the boxes towards the end of November, sorts the donations against the wish lists of the charities it supports and delivers them in time for Christmas.
The school that collects the most toys wins a floating trophy, presented every year. Edgemead Primary, which was already collecting toys for the Toy Run last year, and Gene Louw Primary School are among the first schools to sign up. Any school that would like to take part can contact Bobby McGee at [email protected].
Where the Toys Go
Last year, 97 children’s homes, orphanages, places of safety, hospitals and soup kitchens across the Western Cape received toys from the Toy Run. They included the children’s wards at New Somerset Hospital, where the toys and party bags helped make a Christmas party, Howard’s Soup Kitchen, Cathy and Alroy’s Soup Kitchen, Olive Trees Ministries, the Uncedo Dolwethu Foundation, Big Dreams’ Christmas Party and the Steenberg Community Forum. Learners from Tafelberg High School help the volunteers sort the mountain of gifts each year.
If You Cannot Be There
You can still put a gift in a child’s hands. The Quicket page sells “virtual toys”, and the Trust turns those donations into real ones, and you can also give by SnapScan or EFT through the Toy Run website. Any money left over buys more toys and gifts for the homes and communities that depend on the run. Stallholders and food vendors who want to be part of the day can write to [email protected] for an application form.
Only the Official Toy Runs
“Toy Run” and the bear-on-a-motorcycle logo are registered trademarks of the Trust, which licenses them each year to Toy Runs around the country. If you want to be sure your toy reaches a child through a genuine Toy Run, these are the licensed events for 2026, all held at the end of November.
| Bloemfontein | Limpopo |
| Cape Town | Lowveld (Nelspruit) |
| Durban | Port Elizabeth |
| East London | Pretoria |
| Johannesburg | KZN North (Richards Bay) |
| Highveld (Middelburg) | South Western Districts (Mossel Bay) |
| Kimberley | Vaal |
| Klerksdorp | Standerton |
| Queenstown | West Coast (Vredenburg) |
| Vryheid | Breede Valley (Worcester) |
| KZN South (Margate) |
Cape Town Toy Run 2026 at a Glance
| Date | Sunday 29 November 2026 |
| Start venues | N1 City Mall upper deck (gather from 08:30, ride leaves 10:00) or Athlone Stadium (gather from 08:30, ride leaves about 10:30) |
| Event venue | Killarney International Raceway, 10:00 to 16:00 |
| Entry | Free with a toy or gift; preferably register on Quicket first |
| Bands | Akkedis, Richard Pryor Band, Tuxedo |
| Organiser | Cape Town Charity Toy Run Trust |
| More information | toyrun.co.za and Quicket |
Quick Answers
When is the Cape Town Toy Run in 2026?
Sunday 29 November 2026. Riders gather from 08:30 at N1 City Mall and Athlone Stadium, the rides leave at 10:00 and about 10:30, and the event at Killarney International Raceway runs from 10:00 to 16:00.
How much does the Toy Run cost?
Nothing. Entry to the ride and to the event arena at Killarney is the donation of a toy or gift. The Trust asks everyone to preferably register on Quicket first, even if they are not riding.
What toys should I bring to the Toy Run?
Unwrapped gifts for children from babies to 18, such as soft toys, dolls, board games, balls, toy cars, stationery, toiletries and books, with something for teenagers if you can. No guns and nothing that needs batteries.
Do I need a motorcycle to go to the Toy Run?
No. Anyone can go straight to Killarney by car or bus, donate a toy and enjoy the bands, food trucks and stalls. The mass ride is for riders, but the festival is for everyone.
