FOREWORD
Messages ofWelcome
From the Title Sponsor … From the Race Founder …
We are excited to be back in Cape Town for the second leg of the 2023 Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series , and I am honoured to extend a warm welcome to all of you who are participating in this year ’ s race .
As we come together to celebrate the spirit of running and walking , we are excited to see familiar faces and new participants alike . The Absa RUN YOUR CITY CAPE TOWN 10K is not just a race , but a unique experience that showcases the beauty of the Mother City and the power of community . The race provides us with the opportunity of getting closer to our colleagues and customers , and most importantly , our communities . We are happy that through the Absa Force for Good initiative , we will continue to change lives in Cape Town .
This race gives you an opportunity to push yourself , set personal goals , and achieve new milestones . It ’ s not just about the finish line , but the journey to get there , so let ’ s lace up our shoes , embrace the excitement , and make every step count .
Our campaign , Together we can do more , Siyabangena , encourages you to be an active force for good and raise funds via a Strava community to donate towards community upliftment . For every 1km run / walked by a Team Absa member on the Strava App , the bank donates R1 to make a difference in the community .
As you embark on this race , remember to stay hydrated , pace yourself , and enjoy the beautiful sights of Cape Town . You will also bump into our Absa colleagues and dancers that will be cheering you on along the way . Most importantly , have fun !
I wish you all the best in your race , and look forward to seeing you at the finish . Let ’ s make this third edition of the Absa RUN YOUR CITY CAPE TOWN 10K an unforgettable event !
Sydney Mbhele
Absa ’ s Group Chief Marketing and Corporate Affairs Officer
We could not be more excited to be back in Cape Town for the 2023 edition of the Absa RUN YOUR CITY CAPE TOWN 10K , and warmly welcome all runners and walkers to the start line . This year we have added two more events , in Gqebertha and Tshwane , and the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series now reaches five major cities in South Africa . We are certainly on track to make the series the largest and most prestigious 10k series in the world ! Now it ’ s your turn , Cape Town , and we can ’ t wait to see over 12,000 runners line up at Woodbridge Island .
The Series kicked off on 2 April with the Gqeberha leg , and the event saw the fastest ever 10k run by a South African , the 27:35 clocked by Precious Mashele ! Now we welcome some of the fastest athletes in the world to the start line of a fast and flat Cape Town course . But it is not just about fast times . For most it ’ s about fun , camaraderie , dressing up , and getting your friends and family to join you for the most fun you can have whilst getting some exercise .
This year ’ s event will see the number of participants come back to pre-COVID levels , and hopefully we ’ ll have more runners than ever before . We specifically want to thank the City of Cape Town for its brilliant support , and hope that the unique experience of running on the N1 freeway will again be enjoyed by all .
We thank our anchor sponsors , Absa , Puma , Chery , Coca-Cola Peninsula Beverages , Heineken and DHL , and we also warmly welcome our new 2023 partners , Woolworths , Avalanche and Garmin , to the RUN YOUR CITY family . We encourage all our participants to support the brands and businesses that support your love of running .
We look forward to creating world-class , unique and invigorating running experiences for runners across South Africa , and we wish every runner a safe , rewarding and exhilarating , fun experience !
Michael Meyer
Managing Director of Stillwater Sports
From the Host City …
The ABSA RUN YOUR CITY CAPE TOWN 10K is one of Cape Town ’ s most-loved and well-attended sporting events , and we are delighted to welcome runners to this year ’ s race . The point-to-point route is flat and fast , and we look forward to the athletes in this quality field posting some excellent times this year .
Setting off from Milnerton ’ s Woodbridge Island , runners will approach the city from the North , hugging Table Bay and passing by the harbour before ending in Lower Long Street in the city centre . Throughout the race , they will be running towards the majestic Table Mountain , and I can think of no greater landmark in the world to inspire athletes to run fast times .
The City of Cape Town is proud to have been involved , as a sponsor , since the inception of this race in 2015 , and it is wonderful to see how it has grown over the
years . Last year ’ s race had 10,000 entrants , and this year promises to better that number by some distance . We love welcoming runners from all over , and I have no doubt that Cape Town will put on a tremendous show for our visitors .
This is also a unique race in terms of the entertainment offered along the way , and runners can look forward to all sorts of musical performances , from marimba bands and drumming groups to dancers and cheerleaders . It truly is a one-of-a-kind road race .
It is also a race that does a huge amount for extremely worthy causes in Cape Town through funds raised for charities , and it warms my heart to know that organisations like the Cape of Good Hope SPCA , Die Burger Kinderfonds , Cotlands and Help2Read will be benefitting from this event .
Whether you are a high-performance athlete or one of thousands of entrants running purely for the enjoyment of participation , I wish you a wonderful and safe race .
Geordin Hill-Lewis
Cape Town Mayor
4 Run Your City Series