ROAD RUNNING
Another Ecstatic Winner !
As part of the 2023 Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series , a brand-new Chery Tiggo 4 Pro Urban vehicle is given away before the start of each race , and the lucky winner pulled from the hat at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY TSHWANE 10K was an ecstatic Abongile Noganta . This awesome prize , valued at over R308,000 , is presented compliments of the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series and event partners Chery South Africa and Absa Vehicle and Asset Finance .
altitude tend to be a little more tactical , although still fast . This saw a large pack of 10 men sticking together for the first 5km , including SA 10km Record-holder Precious Mashele , SA 5km Champion Nicholas Seoposengwe , winner of July ’ s Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K Kabelo Seboko-Mulaudzi , two time Olympian Elroy Gelant and fast improving Mathews Leeto , as well as Lesotho ’ s Namakoe Nkasi and the Ethiopian Adisa Wake .
Shortly after 5km , the surges started , with first Gelant and then Leeto driving the pace , but it was a hard push by Nkasi around 7.7km that finally broke the pack and whittled it down to seven athletes . Mashele then surged around 8km , before Seboko-Mulaudzi took over . Having joined the prestigious sub-28- minute club when he won in Durban in 27:55 in July , Seboko- Mulaudzi ’ s pace saw the lead group down to three in the last kilometre , with only Mashele and Wake able to stay with him . Mashele made one final push for the line , but it was Seboko-Mulaudzi who finished stronger , crossing the line in 29:12 , with Mashele second ( 29:14 ) and Wake rounding out the top three ( 29:15 ).
“ The early pace was not fast , so after 5km I tried to pick it up . The slower pace made me confident that I would be able to run hard in the second half of the race and win ,” said Seboko-Muluadzi . Asked about his back-to-back wins at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series , he was understandably ecstatic . “ I am very happy ! To win back-to-back is a great feeling , and shows I am in great shape .”
Everyone ’ s a Winner !
Whereas the men ’ s race went right down to the line , the women ’ s race was more clear cut , with Ethiopia ’ s Debash Desta surging into the lead at the 3km mark and going on to equal her personal best of 32:14 . Behind her , a fierce battle for second and third saw two more Ethiopians round out the podium positions as Getenesh Sase Agafaw took second in 32:46 and Diniya Kedir Abaraya clocking 32:48 for third . The first South African home , and fourth overall , was Glenrose Xaba in 33:23 .
For most of the rest of the field , it was all about enjoying the vibe of the race , with many stopping to dance at the various activations and vibe zones along the route . The Absa High Five point at halfway had the runners jumping to ‘ high five ’ the hanging hands , while the PUMA Forever Faster sprint zone had them winding up the speed in order to qualify for a discount on their next purchase at a PUMA store , and then at the finish the Absa dancers had the crowd doing a fitness dance class on the Union Building lawns . And once again , the Absa RUN YOUR CITY events lived up to their reputation as being a party on foot .
With four races in the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series now completed , the fifth and final race will take place on 24 September with the sixth edition of the Absa RUN YOUR CITY JOBURG 10K . For more information , go to https :// runyourcityseries . com
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