Elite Race
MEET THE
TOP CONTENDERS
The Absa RUN YOUR CITY CAPE TOWN 10K has in the past attracted an impressive field of top elites , who have posted World Bests and SA All Commers Records , and the fast , flat sea-level course should once again see these world-class athletes posting really fast times as they chase line honours .
Precious Mashele
The streets of Cape Town will be painted red on Sunday 14 May when more than 10,000 runners and walkers tackle the eighth edition of the Absa RUN YOUR CITY CAPE TOWN 10K . While many of the backmarkers will be out to enjoy the legendary party atmosphere of the RUN YOUR CITY Series events , we can expect some really fast racing at the front end of the race as the elites tackle what has already proven to be a really fast course .
Another Record on the Cards ?
Headlining the men ’ s race will be the newly crowned 10km SA Record-holder , Precious Mashele , who claimed the national mark with his time of 27:35 , set barely a month ago , at the inaugural Absa RUN YOUR CITY GQEBERHA 10K . Running in the colours of Boxer Athletics Club and PUMA South Africa , Mashele is hot property after his incredible showing in the ‘ Friendly City ,’ and will line up as the race favourite in the Absa RUN YOUR CITY CAPE TOWN 10K .
In that race in Gqeberha , Mashele was fast closing down early race leader , Daniel Ebenyo ( Kenya ) in the closing stages of the race , and that saw him take three seconds off the previous SA 10km Record , set by Stephen Mokoka in Manchester in 2015 . Mashele crossed the line just 14 seconds behind Ebenyo after trailing the Kenyan by 20 seconds at halfway , and his recordbreaking performance underlined why he is considered one of the best distance runners that South Africa has ever produced .
The 32-year-old athlete has confirmed that he will compete at all five races in the 2023 Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series , and that he is itching for a South African to take line honours in the Cape Town leg for the first time since ????. He will get the chance on 14 May to write his name into the history books as winner in Cape Town , and claims to be in the form of his life , and immensely confident , after his run in Gqeberha . “ The legs have recovered , and I am looking forward to racing in Cape Town . I knew I had the SA Record in me after my run in
Australia at the World Cross Country Championships in February , and my training since then has gone really well , so I am excited about running in Cape Town ,” says Mashele .
Chasing Top Honours
Joining the SA Record-holder in the Cape Town line-up will be SA 5000m Record-holder Elroy Gelant . “ I ’ m excited about Cape Town , and about what Precious did in Gqeberha . It proves we can compete with the best ,” says Gelant . “ The great thing about the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series is that we get to race against the best on home soil , which makes it a lot easier for us , as we don ’ t need to travel long distances . For myself , I am looking to improve on the run that I had in Gqeberha , and hopefully even bettering my PB . ( In Gqeberha , Gelant clocked 28:26 , his second-best career performance after his PB 28:18 .)
Elroy Gelant
Also in the field will be Denis Kipngetich of Kenya , as well as SA World Champs athlete Melikhaya Frans . The 33-year-old from Gqeberha ’ s has been in solid form since 2021 , setting Personal Bests in the 5000m ( 14:01.86 ), 10km ( 28:16 ), 15km ( 44:29 ), Half Marathon ( 1:01:03 ) and twice in the Marathon ( 2:11:27 and 2:09:24 ). A hard racer at whatever distance he tackles , he will be sure to be up with the leaders on race day , having clocked 28:43 to finish 10th in the Cape Town race in 2022 .
Melikhaya Frans
With another exciting men ’ s race on the cards , founder of the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series , Michael Meyer , says he is looking forward to following all the action . “ Since its inception in Cape Town in 2015 , the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series has provided SA athletes with the opportunity to compete against the World ’ s Best in World Class events on home soil . These athletes are now beginning to reap the rewards . Precious Mashele ’ s SA Record in Gqeberha was a victory for South Africa , and for the sport as a whole , and we are proud to provide the next opportunity in Cape Town come Sunday 14 May .”
“ It is also gratifying to see Precious use the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series to improve his performance and ultimately become the fastest ever South African runner over 10km . This is what we want the series to do for South African road running performances ,” says Michael Meyer , Managing Director of Stillwater Sports and Founder of the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series .
10 Run Your City Series