ROAD RUNNING
Still More Records !
The 5km mark in the Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10km was officially certified and thus record-eligible , so in addition to the three national marks posted in the overall 10km race , an impressive tally of eight national marks for 5km were also run :
Men ’ s All-comers ( open ) Under-20 : 13:50 – Keneth Kiprop ( Uganda )
Men ’ s SA Age Categories Under-20 : 14:28 – Dino Nako 40-49 : 14:58 – Simphiwe Zulu 60-69 : 17:54 – Nehemia Mtsweni
Women ’ s All-comers ( Open ) Senior : 15:00 – Christine Njoki ( Kenya ) Under-20 : 15:10 – Debash Desta ( Ethiopia )
Glenrose Xaba on her way to a new SA Record
Women ’ s SA Age Categories 40-49 : 16:31 – Lebo Phalula 60-69 : 22:08 – Grace de Oliveira
10K in 2022 , but with this course being point-to-point and thus classified as ‘ aided ,’ the official previous SA All-comers Record was 30:41 , run by Kenya ’ s Jesca Chelangat in the 2022 edition of the Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K .)
Ethiopian Debash Desta clocked 31:00 for second place , and Kenyan Judith Kiyeng rounded out the podium positions with her PB 31:10 , but it was Glenrose Xaba ’ s record-breaking fourth place that really caught the attention of the local supporters . Crossing the line in 31:12 , she took a massive 43 seconds off her previous best ( clocked in this same race last year ), but more importantly , she crossed the line one second faster than the 23-year-old national record set by Elana Meyer in Budapest , Hungary in 2001 .
After the race , she said the national mark had been her goal for some time : “ I ’ m happy that I have finally run the record . Since a young age , Elana Meyer told me that one day I ’ ll own the record , because I ’ m strong . She is my mentor , as I always look at the times she ran in the past , so to see it finally happening , I ’ m very happy ! I also want to thank my coaches , Caster and Violet Semenya , for believing in me .”
It proved a lucrative day for Xaba – on top of her R15,000 prize money for fourth place , she was awarded an R80,000 bonus incentive for a sub-31:33 time ( as part of the incentive scheme on offer to local athletes throughout the 2024 Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series ), as well as an additional R50,000 for breaking the SA Record , putting her total winnings at R145,000 for the day !
Fifth-placed Neheng Khatala clocked 32:01 to set another national record , this time for Lesotho , and 11-placed Lebo Phalula also achieved a national record , in the SA 40-49 age category , with her 34:01 breaking Sonja Laxton ’ s 34:17 , set in Cape Town in 1989 . Seven of the top 10 women set new personal bests , while the top 10 men also boasted seven new PB performances , in what was a remarkably fast and competitive race .
An Action-packed Day
While the elites were chasing the records , many in the huge field of over 8000 participants – up from last year ’ s nearly 6500 – were out to make the most of the perfect running conditions and vibey activations all long the route to keep everybody motivated and entertained . These included the ABSA High 5 , Unicorn Razzle Dazzle , Chery Cheer Zone , Castle Lite Zone , Luminous Legends and the PUMA FOREVER FASTER 100 Sprint Zone activations , as well as two refreshment stations provided by Coca-Cola .
The race also saw another pre-race draw of one lucky winner of a brand new Chery Tiggo 4 Pro LiT vehicle , with an ecstatic Ndabezinhle Mbatha claiming the keys to his new set of wheels before setting off to run his city .
“ A massive thank you to all the runners who joined us on this incredible day – you are the heartbeat of this
Winner of the new Chery Tiggo 4 Pro LiT , Ndabezinhle Mbatha
event . We extend our deepest gratitude to our sponsors , partners , and supporters , whose contributions and enthusiasm were invaluable and added immensely to the experience . Together , you all made this day exceptional . We look forward to seeing everyone again next year ,” said Michael Meyer , Managing Director of Stillwater Sports and the Series Founder .
“ Congratulations to Elroy Gelant and Christine Njoki for winning the 2024 edition of the Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K , and Glenrose Xaba and Neheng Khatala for setting new national records . Your performances were truly inspiring . With four SA men going under 28-minutes , today will be remembered as one of the best 10km races run in the country and on the African continent !”
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The seventh edition of
ISSUE 170 | www . modernathlete . co . za the race had its biggest field yet