ROAD RUNNING
Top 10 in Jozi
The Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series boasted an impressive combined prize purse of R1.56 million across the five events in 2023 , with R312,000 allocated to each race . Of this , R252,000 was paid out to the top 10 men and women in the open category , and R60,000 across the various age categories . This made it one of the most lucrative racing series in SA , and ensured terrific competition for podium positions . The top performers in the Joburg race were as follows :
TOP 10 MEN
1 Namakoe Nkhasi Nedbank / Lesotho 29:07 2 Kabelo Mulaudzi Boxer / South Africa 29:26
3 Mathews Leeto Hollywood / South Africa 29:29 4 Onalenna Khonkhobe Nedbank / South Africa 29:33 5 Edward Mothibi Nedbank / South Africa 29:53 6 Joel Mmone Nedbank / South Africa 29:59 7 Chris Mhlanga UJ / South Africa 30:04 8 Jimnah Kuria Kariuki Kenya 30:06 9 Collen Mulaudzi Hollywood / South Africa 30:21 10 Pakiso Mthembu Maxed Elite / South Africa 30:23
Debash Desta
Images : Tobias Ginsberg , Charles Ndou , Felix Dlanga
Namakoe Nkhasi
TOP 10 WOMEN
1 |
Debash Desta |
Ethiopia |
33:03 |
2 |
Selam Fente Gebre |
Nedbank / Ethiopia |
33:10 |
3 |
Irvette Van Zyl |
Hollywood / South Africa |
34:34 |
4 |
Gerda Steyn |
Phantane / South Africa |
34:43 |
5 |
Karabo Mailula |
Tuks / South Africa |
34:50 |
6 |
Rutendo Nyahora |
Hollywood / Zimbabwe |
35:52 |
7 |
Regina Ndungu |
Maxed Elite / Kenya |
36:06 |
8 |
Galaletsang Mekgoe |
Nedbank / South Africa |
36:24 |
9 |
Lebo Phalula |
Boxer / South Africa |
36:30 |
10 |
Stella Marais |
Nedbank / South Africa |
36:33 |
Chasing the Wins
Going into the race , all eyes were on Kabelo Mulaudzi , who had won three high profile 10km races in July and August , including the Durban and Tshwane legs of the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series , as well as the SA Cross Country title . He had also broken 28 minutes for the first time in Durban ( 27:56 ), and true to form , the 25-year-old Boxer athlete took control of the race after 8km , reached in 24:34 , after Hollywood ’ s Mathews Leeto had done most of the pacesetting work from the 4km mark .
However , the hard racing of the previous two months perhaps showed as Mulaudzi was slowly reeled in by Nkhasi . The 29-year-old Lesotho National Record-holder opened the throttle after 9km and surged away from a fading Mulaudzi , flying down the long finish straight to win the race for a second time with that new course record , and pulling the first six athletes under 30 minutes . Mulaudzi then had to dig deep to hold off a fast-finishing Leeto for second place , 29:26 to 29:29 . “ I am very happy with the win today ,” said Nkhasi . “ I was off with an injury from July , and this is really good for me . I feel I am getting back to my best .”
In the women ’ s race , Desta and fellow Ethiopian Selam Gebre matched each other stride for stride for much of the race , and it was only in the final kilometre that Desta was able to edge away to take the win , with Gebre finishing seven seconds adrift in 33:10 . This was Desta ’ s second win in the Absa RUN YOUR CITYU Series this year . She equalled her PB of 32:14 in winning the Absa RUN YOUR CITY TSHWANE 10K in August , and both she and Gebre have been regular participants in various 10km races and series in South African in 2023 , always finishing in podium positions .
A resurgent Irvette van Zyl , recently returned from injury and a marathon outing at the World Athletics Champs in early August , claimed her first podium finish of a disrupted year by coming home third in 33:34 , ahead of Comrades and Two Oceans Marathon champion Gerda Steyn ( 33:43 ).
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