Elite Race
Speedy Women ’ s Race Ahead
The organisers of the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series are excited to announce that one of the World ’ s best female athletes , Prisca Chesang ( Uganda ), who boasts a 10km personal best time of 30:19 , will make her Absa RUN YOUR CITY CAPE TOWN 10K debut in this year ’ s race .
Prisca Chesang
Africa athlete ’ s confidence the that a sub-32 is now on her radar . “ I have 31 minutes in my legs ,” she enthused after smashing her PB in Gqeberha , and she now brings that form and confidence to Cape Town .
Fortunate Chidzivo
On New Years Eve of 2022 , she won the Madrid 10km in that astonishing time of 30:19 , which made her unofficially the fastest ever junior athlete over the 10km distance , ranked her sixth on the Senior World List for 2022 , and put her in the top 20 on the World All Time list for the distance . Although still only 19 years of age , few female athletes of her calibre have ever competed in South Africa .
“ My training partner and captain of our group , Stella Chesang , won here in Cape Town last year in a fast time , so I ’ ve heard very good things about the race ,” says Chesang . “ Some of my other training partners , Stephen Kissa and Joshua Cheptegei , have also run in Cape Town and Durban in the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series , and according to them , it ’ s like running in Europe , but in Africa . The races are well organised , and the courses are fast . Also , Cape Town is known as a beautiful city , so I hope to run well and get a chance to see some of the city attractions .”
“ I am aiming to shoot for the World Championships qualifying time of 30:40 ,” continues a determinedsounding Chesang . “ I ran well in the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in February , placing seventh , and stayed for two weeks in Australia to do a 3000m and a 10km on the road . Afterwards I took a short break before starting to build up again , and training has been good . The Absa RUN YOUR CITY CAPE TOWN 10K will be my first race of the summer season , and it will also be my first time in South Africa , so I am really looking forward to it .”
Leading the Local Challenge
Fresh off her massive PB of 32:23 on 2 April in the Absa RUN YOUR CITY GQBERHA 10K – an improvement of 22 seconds - Glenrose Xaba will be full of confidence when she lines up for the Cape Town leg of the series . Such is the 28-year-old Boxer Athletics Club and PUMA South
Xaba dominated the SA women ’ s running scene in recent years at distances up to the half marathon . In 2018 she was unbeatable over 10km , in 2019 she set her recently broken 10km PB of 32:45 , and in 2020 she went sub-70 in the Half Marathon , before the COVID pandemic disrupted competition . “ I have been trying to break my 10km PB for ages now , and it finally happened in Gqeberha ,” she says . “ As I was approaching the finish line , I saw the clock read 31:57 , and then I knew that I am getting close to that sub-32 .”
The South African can expect a tough challenge from Lesotho ’ s four-time National Record Holder , Neheng Khatala , who took a whopping 69 seconds off her season-opening time of 33:54 when she finished fifth in 32:45 in Gqeberha , Khatala boasts a 32:06 PB for 10km , run on the Absa RUN YOUR CITY CAPE TOWN 10K course , and with a solid training block behind her , she will be keen to better the time she ran in Gqeberha . “ I love running in Cape Town , I do well here . The last time I ran my PB , so I am excited about racing at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY CAPE TOWN 10K again .” Zimbabwe ’ s Fortunate Chidzivo will also line up as a top contender , thanks to her 10km best of 32:26 .
Neheng Khatala
Glenrose Xaba
However , all the elite female athletes , including Chesang , will need to keep a wary eye on Kenya ’ s Veronica Loleo . The 25-year-old is in the form of her life after running a half marathon best of 1:08:03 in Ghent , Belgium in March , having clocked 31:52 for 10km in Brasov , Romania in 2022 . She will be part of a women ’ s field that could make history if they can collectively do even better than last year ’ s stellar field . That race saw Uganda ’ s Stella Chesang win in 30:40 and pull another six women with her to sub-32 times , and 2023 could very well go the same way with the calibre of women that will assemble on the start line .
Veronica Loleo
Bringing the Best to SA
“ To say that we are excited by the quality female field that will line up on 14 May is an understatement ,” says Meyer . “ It is important that we show African excellence in women ’ s running , and we are proud to do so at the 8th annual Absa RUN YOUR CITY CAPE TOWN 10K . Not only are we thrilled to welcome Prisca , one of the best 10km female athletes in the world , to the Mother City , but we are also excited to give local athletes such as Glenrose and others such as Neheng , Fortunate and Veronica the opportunity to race the best on SA soil . The fast , flat course , combined with the strong field , is guaranteed to deliver world-class performances , so we can ’ t we wait to watch the elite race unfold , but we are also excited to give Cape Town residents the opportunity to be part of the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series experience .”
11