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Just a few of the 5km entrants !
Starting at Snell Parade via Lagoon Drive and finishing at Blue Lagoon Park , the inaugural Boxer Super Run catered for participants of all backgrounds : Elite runners , casual joggers and leisurely walkers . While the super-fast elites ran in the closed , invitationonly Elite Men ’ s and Women ’ s waves , the rest of the entrants could choose between the Open Wave , for the more competitive runners looking to challenge their personal bests , or the Super Social Wave , for those who relish the social aspect of the sport , and who were encouraged to dress up and add still more to the vibrant atmosphere of the event . |
In the elite races , Precious Mashele and Glenrose Xaba showcased their remarkable speed over 5km , becoming the fastest South Africans to complete a 5km road run on home soil with their finishing times of 13:44 and 16:03 respectively . In the men ’ s race , |
Mashele was followed in by Kabelo Mulaudzi ( 13:53 ) and Nkosinathi Sibiya ( 13:54 ). According to Mashele , who set the SA 10km Record earlier this year , he is always looking to go faster . “ I am happy to win a 5km , because it ’ s not my normal distance . The guys were pushing the pace today , and when they dropped the pace , I picked it up , but no one responded to me . I am always looking to run a National Record , but I ’ m happy , and I want to thank PUMA South Africa , Stillwater Sports , Boxer Athletics Club , and my training partners for always supporting me . This motivates me so that I can win again .”
After winning the women ’ s title , a happy Xaba said , “ I came here to run well . I did not have a good race in the half marathon at the World Champs , so today I came to do my best and aim to run the SA Record . I managed to keep my pace well , so I feel very happy . Thanks to the ladies , they ran an incredible race . Well done to Cacisile Sosibo , who performed very well . I ’ m very happy for her , as she is one of the future stars . The event was well organised , and the course is fast . The records are coming !” Sosibo was second in 16:11 , with Regina Ndungu third in 16:28 .
Incentive to Perform
The inaugural Boxer Super Run boasted an impressive R147,200 total prize purse , with the winners taking home a well-deserved R20,000 each , and prize money allocated across all the age categories from juniors to 70-plus . This not only spurred the elites on to chase the SA Record times , but also saw new SA records posted in various age categories by Scelo Mkhwanazi ( junior men ), Li-Mari Dekker ( junior women ), Simone
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Precious Mashele and Glenrose Xaba
Botha ( women ’ s 40-49 ), Johannes Kekana ( men ’ s 50-59 ), Piet Brits ( men ’ s 60-69 ), Grace de Oliveira ( women ’ s 60-69 ), and Robin Archer ( men ’ s 70 +).
“ The Boxer Super Run showcased an extraordinary standard of running ,” says Michael Meyer , Managing Director of Stillwater Sports , the event organiser . “ We were privileged to witness elite athletes , rising stars , and passionate runners of all ages and backgrounds giving their absolute best over 5km , and congratulations to Precious Mashele and Glenrose Xaba for their fantastic performances . They ’ ve given SA ’ s up-and-coming stars something to aspire to .”
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Images : Anthony Grote |
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