Stillwater Sports, the organisers of the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series have just announced the biggest incentive purse to date in the history of South African road running in the build up to the annual Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K on Sunday 09 July 2023.
The incentive structure will see South African men earn bonuses for times faster than 28:30, culminating in a bonus of R 200 000,00 for a time under 27 minutes. On the female side the incentives will start for times faster than 32:00.
With the announcement of the SA Athlete Incentives for the 2023 Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K, and the excellent level of middle distance running currently in South Africa, the organizers hope that world class times will be recorded by the top SA athletes on the very fast Durban course.
The announcement follows the principle set in 2022 where the Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K paid out a whopping R475 000,00 in incentives. In that race, Maxime Chameton became the first South African to break the magical 28 min barrier on South African soil earning himself a massive R100 000,00 when he clocked 27:58 to finish 4th overall.
Since then both Precious Mashele and Thabang Mosiako have improved on that time as being the fastest ever run by a South African on home soil. Mashele broke the 8-year-old SA Record of Stephen Mokoka when he clocked 27:35 at the inaugural Absa RUN YOUR CITY GQEBERHA 10K on 2 April. Mashele took three seconds off the previous record in finishing second behind Kenya’s Daniel Ebenyo. Mosiako slashed 34 seconds off of his previous best time of 28:26 from the Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K run in 2022 by finishing third in Gqeberha with a time of 27:52.
Every athlete breaking the below times in 2023 stands to win the corresponding bonus.
2023 Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series Incentives
SA ELITE ATHLETES ONLY
Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K ONLY
| MEN’S TIMES | |
| sub 28:30 | R5 000,00 |
| sub 28:20 | R15 000,00 |
| sub 28:10 | R30 000,00 |
| sub 28:00 | R60 000,00 |
| sub 27:50 | R80 000,00 |
| sub 27:40 | R100 000,00 |
| sub 27:30 | R120 000,00 |
| sub 27:20 | R140 000,00 |
| sub 27:10 | R160 000,00 |
| sub 27:00 | R200 000,00 |
| WOMEN’S TIMES | |
| sub 32:00 | R5 000,00 |
| sub 31:50 | R15 000,00 |
| sub 31:40 | R30 000,00 |
| sub 31:30 | R60 000,00 |
| sub 31:20 | R80 000,00 |
| sub 31:10 | R100 000,00 |
| sub 31:00 | R120 000,00 |
| sub 30:50 | R140 000,00 |
| sub 30:40 | R160 000,00 |
| sub 30:30 | R200 000,00 |
“We have seen over the years how the standard of South African middle-distance running has improved at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series. The added incentives in 2022 in Durban saw the first South African break 28 min in South Africa when Maxime (Chaumeton) ran 27:58,” says Michael Meyer, Managing Director of Stillwater Sports and Founder of the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series. “In Gqeberha we saw two more athletes going under 28 min in Precious Mashele and Thabang Mosiako. Clearly the belief is there, and we hope with these incentives we will see even faster times here in South Africa, hopefully a sub-27 min 10km. The end effect we hope will be twofold, a continued raising of the standard of middle distance running in South Africa while ensuring that South African athletes can earn a good living without having to leave SA.”
EVENT INFORMATION: 2023 Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K
| Date: | Sunday 09 July 2023 |
| Start Time: | 08:00 |
| Start Venue: | Sun Coast Parking Area |
| Finish Venue: | Durban Beach Front Promenade (Golden Mile) |
| Entry Fee: | · Licenced Runner: R240.00
· Temporary Licence: R50.00 |
| Entry Includes: | · Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series Event Performance T-shirt
· Absa Entrant Gifts (Peak Cap, Drawstring Bag, Socks & Shoelaces) · DHL Water Bottle · Race Number with Timing Chip · Sponsor Route Entertainment Points · Amazing Route Entertainment Points from Start to Finish · 2 x Refreshment Stations on Route · Tog Bag Drop and Collect Service · Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series Finisher’s Medal |
CHARITY SUPPORT: When entering the 2023 Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K online runners and walkers can make a difference by supporting five local charities: 1. Reach For A Dream Foundation (RFAD), 2. Durban & Coast SPCA, 3. TREE (Training and Resources in Early Education), 4. LIV Village and 5. iThemba Lethu.
PRIZE PURSE: The Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series boasts an impressive, combined Prize Purse of R 1 560 000.00 in 2023. Each of the five events will be assigned R312 000.00 in prize money of which R252 000.00 will be allocated towards the Open Category (R126 000.00 going to Top 10 Open Men’s and R126 000.00 to Top 10 Open Women’s), and R60 000 towards Age Categories (Junior, 40 – 49, 50 – 59, 60 – 69 and 70+ Age Categories). To view the prize purse breakdown please visit https://runyourcityseries.com/
Facebook: @Durban10k
Instagram: @Durban10k
Hashtag: #RunYourCity #AbsaRunYourCity
Websites: www.runyourcityseries.com
About Absa
Absa Group is listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and is one of Africa’s largest diversified financial services groups.
Absa Group offers an integrated set of products and services across personal and business banking, corporate and investment banking, wealth and investment management and insurance.
Absa operates in fourteen countries. The Group owns majority stakes in banks in Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania (Absa Bank Tanzania and National Bank of Commerce), Uganda and Zambia and has insurance operations in Botswana, Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, and Zambia. Absa also has representative offices in Namibia and Nigeria, and securities entities in the United Kingdom and the United States.
For further information about Absa Group Limited, please visit www.absa.africa
About the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series
A proudly South African mass participation road running series, the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series has been revolutionizing the sport since 2015. A road running celebration like no other, the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series comprises five unique events namely the Absa RUN YOUR CITY GQEBERHA 10K (launched in 2023), Absa RUN YOUR CITY CAPE TOWN 10K (launched in 2015), the Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K (launched in 2017), Absa RUN YOUR CITY TSHWANE 10K (launched in 2023) and the Absa RUN YOUR CITY JOBURG 10K (launched in 2016).
A diverse road running series, the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series integrates businesses, families, investment in community, world class achievement and fun for all participants.
For further information please visit https://runyourcityseries.com/