The Race
WELCOME TO
GQEBERHA !
South Africa ’ s award-winning road running series , the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series celebrates the start of its 2023 season with the debut of the much-anticipated Absa RUN YOUR CITY GQEBERHA 10K on Sunday 2 April .
The Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series has been revolutionising the road running space in South Africa since 2015 . Elevated from a three-event series ( Cape Town , Durban and Johannesburg ) to five in 2023 ( now including Gqeberha and Tshwane ), this Series encourages walkers , lifestyle enthusiasts , friends and families to participate in the most experiential mass participation road running events in SA . At the sharp end of the field , the elites will be looking to run exceptional times on routes designed for performance . people and use it as a vehicle to get closer to our customers and colleagues , and most importantly , communities . We are happy that through the Absa Force for Good initiative , we will be able to change lives in this city . For every one kilometre that will be run or walked by Team Absa members on Strava , Absa will donate R1 towards a worthy course in the community of Gqeberha . We look forward to welcoming thousands of participants on the 2nd of April to create a meaningful impact in a fun way .”
Founder of the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series , Michael Meyer , says that 2023 is a ground-breaking year for the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series . “ We are thrilled to take the experience of the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series to five major cities in 2023 , giving more South Africans the opportunity to be part of a world-class event . Starting in Gqeberha , an emphasis will be placed on hosting an event that highlights iconic city landmarks , includes magnificent views , and features lively performances from some of the city ’ s leading performing arts groups .”
“ We are thankful to the City of Gqeberha and Eastern Province Athletics for the warm welcome that we have received ,” continues Meyer . “ Their enthusiasm to host the event has been inspiring , and we are confident that as a host city , Gqeberha will be a fresh and exciting addition to the series for runners and walkers alike . Together with the City , EPA , title sponsor Absa and key sponsors such as PUMA , DHL and Chery , to mention just a few , we are proud to celebrate the event ’ s debut by bringing world class performances to the streets of Gqeberha , a city in which records are known to be broken .”
Excited Sponsors & Partners
Absa Regional Executive , Everyday Banking Eastern and Southern Cape Pholushi Malesa , says , “ When Absa took over as title sponsor of the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series , our biggest goal was not only to grow this platform , but to galvanise
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Equally excited about the new race is Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality Director : Sport & Recreation , Charmaine Williams . “ Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality is proud to host the Absa RUN YOUR CITY GQEBERHA 10K , and is looking forward to strong support from local athletes and corporates . Boosting sports tourism is high on the city ’ s agenda , and partnering with high profile events like the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series promotes mass participation and exposure , which is well suited to our tourism goals and positioning ourselves as a preferred sport destination . We will undoubtedly witness world-class talent at this outstanding race , and we hope our local athletes will keep the Eastern Cape Athletics flag flying high !”
Meanwhile , the local athletics federation , Eastern Province Athleteics ( EPA ), is looking forward to this new chapter in the city ’ s history of top class racing . “ EPA is ecstatic to have been included in the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series and to bring yet another world class event to Gqeberha ,” says Genevieve Laycock , EPA Road Running Chairperson . “ We trust that the local athletes and corporates will support the event to show that Gqeberha is a sport-loving City , and we are excited to see how our local athletes compete against the elite athletes who are invited to participate . EPA has embarked on a development initiative and funding from the event will assist with this programme . We are looking forward to working closely with Stillwater Sports and the opportunity to learn from their experience and professionalism , which will be carried forward to our other events .”
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Images : Anthony Grote & Charles Ndou
6 Run Your City Series