The addition of both Mashele and Mokoka means that once again the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series has attracted the best that the country has on offer over 10km road running . The latter two were involved in a titanic tussle at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K in 2021 , when the SA Title was also at stake , and it was Mashele who emerged triumphant that day , running his lifetime best of 28:11 . He has committed to run in all five Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series races in 2023 , and says , “ I love this Series . The organisation is right up there with international races , and we get to run these at home , so it is great for us as athletes . I want to get as close to 28 minutes as possible , maybe even go under 28 in Gqeberha .” |
last five to seven years . “ We get to run against the best in the world at home . It means we do not have to worry about travel and so we are fresh . It also motivates us to do better , and we are seeing the results ,” he says .
Mokoka is quick to point out that he is focused on longer distances these days , but still looks forward to a great 10km race . “ It is a great honour for me to be invited to the Series again , especially after having just run a marathon , and to be able to test myself against the 10km runners is always a great privilege . My best time in South Africa is 28:12 , which I ran in Durban in this series in 2019 , so I hope to do better than that . I know the routes in Gqeberha are always fast , so I will be very happy if I can equal or even better that time .”
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Neheng Khatala |
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Speedy Women ’ s Race Ahead
This will be the third time Kenya ’ s Chesang races in the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series , and remarkably , it will be only her third 10km road race in her career . She placed eighth in the Absa RUN YOUR CITY CAPE TOWN 10K in May 2022 , then returned to SA in July to smash a huge personal best of 31:55 as she finished second in the Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K , with an improvement of 1:07 on her previous best . “ I am looking to break my personal best from last time ,” she says .
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will continue to push our performances . The courses are always measured to international standards , and the hospitality , great organisation and entertainment on the route are why I keep coming back .” |
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Meanwhile , Mokoka is the current SA 10km and Half Marathon Record-holder , with his times of 27:38 and 59:36 from 2015 and 2020 respectively , and narrowly missed out on the SA Marathon Record when he clocked 2:06:42 in Osaka in February this year . He has been part of the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series since its inception in 2015 , and believes that the Series is the reason why road running in South Africa has picked up again in the |
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Images : Action Photo SA , Anthony Grote , Josh Reid & Mark Sampson |
Stephen Mokoka |
Khatala is the Lesotho Record-holder in the 10,000m ( 33:27.35 ), 10km ( 32:06 ), Half Marathon ( 1:09:57 ) and Marathon ( 2:28.06 ), all run in 2022 except for the Marathon , which was run in 2021 . She set that 32:06 at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY CAPE TOWN 10K in May last year , during the season of her life , and is now keen to break 32min for 10km . “ I love the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series , because the routes are fast and flat , especially Gqeberha , Cape Town and Durban , the organisation is very good , and every time I line up , I race against good elite runners and that helps me achieve good times . I would love to run all five the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series races in 2023 ,” she says . The new race in Gqeberha will also be the perfect opportunity for Xaba to shine in the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series . Last year , the 28-year-old South African never once finished outside the top five in the Series , including running an incredible 34:03 to finish second in the tough Joburg leg . More recently , Xaba won the Gauteng North 5000m title with a 15:52.10 , showing she is in good form ahead of the Gqeberha race . “ I ’ m looking forward to producing a good time , as we ’ ll once again have international athletes competing , and that |
Bringing the Best to SA
Also looking forward to the racing is Michael Meyer , Managing Director of Stillwater Sports and Founder of the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series . “ The Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series strives to give South African runners the opportunity to stand on the start line , on home soil , with the world ’ s best runners , and Gqeberha residents can look forward to witnessing a first-class road running experience come Sunday 2 April . Both SA ’ s elite and international athletes have welcomed the exciting expansion of the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series from three to five mass participation events in 2023 , with the inclusion of Gqeberha and Tshwane , and this expansion is a further sign of the popularity of the series , both here and abroad ,” he says .
“ The fast , flat course in Gqeberha , combined with the strong local and international field , is guaranteed to deliver world class performances . Not only can ’ t we wait to watch the elite race unfold , but we are also excited to give Gqeberha residents the opportunity to be part of the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series experience .”
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