Kenya’s Vincent Kibet Langat and Diana Chepkorir claimed top honors in the men’s and women’s races, respectively, at the 2nd annual Absa RUN YOUR CITY GQEBERHA 10K on Sunday, 7 April 2024. Langat boasted a winning time of 28:01 and Chepkorir 31:15.
At the age of 37, veteran South African top runner Elroy Gelant is showing no signs of slowing down. Gelant produced another polished performance clocking 28:17 to take second place on the day. SA 10km national record holder Precious Mashele claimed the third position as he crossed the finish line two seconds behind his countryman.
Speaking moments after the race, Gelant said he had a good race despite the challenging weather conditions.
“I knew it was going to be difficult because of the wind. The first 2km we were into the wind, which meant that the race was going to be tactical,” explained the Boxer Athletics Club top runner.
“I told myself I want to run a confident race as I wanted to get something out of it. It’s a competitive run. In the last 400m, I nearly gave it to my teammate (Precious Mashele), but I thought no let me go for it as there was something left in me. In the end, it was a very confident run despite the wind,” he said after passing Mashele metres from the finish line to claim the runner’s up position.
A mark of just how fast the second half of the Absa RUN YOUR CITY GQEBERHA 10K was, is that even though the leading men only passed the halfway mark in 14:47, eleven men ended up breaking the 29-minute barrier.
Stillwater Sports MD and Founder of the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series Michael Meyer says these results show just how the standard of running in SA has improved since the series began inviting world class athletes to compete in SA over 10km.
“We’ve witnessed a remarkable improvement in the standard of running in South Africa since we started inviting world-class athletes to compete in our 10km events. This has not only raised the level of competition but also inspired local athletes to achieve new heights in their performances,” says Meyer.
In the women’s race Kenya’s Diana Chepkorir dominated as she led from gun to tape to win in 31:15 ahead of her compatriot Nancy Sang who crossed the finish line in 31:39, while Ethiopia’s Selam Gebre claimed the final podium position in 31:42. Lesotho’s Blandina Makatisi set a new national record with her fifth place 32:05 finish, while Glenrose Xaba was the highest placed South African after stopping the clock in 33:04 for sixth position.
“Well done to all that participated in the Absa RUN YOUR CITY GQEBERHA 10K and joined Team Absa Walk Run on Strava. A huge congratulations to all the winners. It was inspiring to see so many people come together, with many different reasons for running, push themselves to achieve their individual goals,” said Jabulile Nsibanyoni, Head of Sponsorships, Brand, and Marketing. “Your stories have inspired us all, and we are immensely grateful for your contributions to our event. Thank you to our colleagues, volunteers, partner sponsors, and organisers who made this event possible.”
EVENT INFORMATION: 2024 Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series
| 1. Sunday 07 April 2024 | Absa RUN YOUR CITY GQEBERHA 10K |
| Start & Finish Venue: Beach Road, Kings Beach, Humewood, Gqeberha | |
| Start Time: 07:00 | |
| 2. Sunday 12 May 2024 | Absa RUN YOUR CITY CAPE TOWN 10K |
| 3. Sunday 07 July 2024 | Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K |
| 4. Sunday 25 August 2024 | Absa RUN YOUR CITY TSHWANE 10K |
| 5. Tuesday 24 September 2024 | Absa RUN YOUR CITY JOBURG 10K |
WIN A CAR: Celebrating its second anniversary in “The Friendly City” on Sunday 07 April 2024, all entrants of the Absa RUN YOUR CITY GQEBERHA 10K stood a chance to win a brand-new Chery Tiggo 4 Pro LiT Vehicle valued from R279 000. Marisa Bonthuys was the lucky runner that drove home in this fantastic prize on the day.
CHARITY SUPPORT: The Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series has welcomed the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) as the official charity for the entire series of events taking place in Gqeberha, Cape Town, Durban, Tshwane and Joburg in 2024. A non-profit leader in the fight against cancer since 1931, CANSA enables research, educates the public and advocates for and supports all people affected by cancer, while leading SA towards a cancer-free society. When entering an Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series event online, runners can show their support by donating towards CANSA.
Facebook: @Gqeberha10k / @CapeTown10k / @Durban10k / @Tshwane10k / @Joburg10k
Instagram: @Gqeberha10k / @CapeTown10k / @Durban10k / @Tshwane10k / @Joburg10k
Hashtag: #RunYourCity #AbsaRunYourCity
Websites: www.runyourcityseries.com