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Since its inception in 2015, the Absa RUN YOUR CITY SERIES has redefined road running in South Africa, offering five mass participation road running events across five dynamic cities. The series kicks off in Gqeberha in April, followed by Cape Town in May, Durban in July and Tshwane in August, before culminating in Johannesburg in September.<\/p>\n \u201cWe firmly believe that an impressive prize purse not only rewards hard work but also inspires athletes to push boundaries,\u201d says Michael Meyer, Managing Director of Stillwater Sports and Series Founder<\/em><\/strong>. \u201cWe are proud to announce a combined prize purse of R1\u00a0610\u00a0000.00 <\/strong>in 2025. Each of the five events will feature a total prize allocation of R322 000. Of this, R252\u00a0000.00 will be dedicated to the Open Category, with R126\u00a0000.00 awarded to the Top 10 Open Men and R126\u00a0000.00 to the Top 10 Open Women. The top male and female finishers in each city will receive R30\u00a0000.00 each, with R25\u00a0000.00 going to second-place finishers and R20\u00a0000.00 to third-place finishers.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Additionally, R70\u00a0000.00 will be allocated to Age Categories. The Age Category prize pool will reward the top three finishers in the Junior, 40\u201349, 50\u201359, 60\u201369, and 70+ age groups.”<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Fantastic Athlete Incentives for 2025<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n In addition to the substantial combined prize purse, Stillwater Sports has unveiled an unprecedented \u201cSA Athlete Prize Incentive Schedule\u201d for 2025. The incentive schedule applies to all five races and offers bonuses for exceptional performances.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In the men\u2019s category, bonuses will start for times faster than 28 minutes, with a substantial R200\u00a0000.00 bonus for breaking the 27-minute barrier. For women, bonuses begin for times faster than 32:08 minutes, with an impressive R200\u00a0000.00 incentive for breaking the 30:23 mark.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n To further raise the stakes, a bonus of R50\u00a0000.00 will be awarded to the South African athlete who breaks the SA 10km record (at the time of the race). The current men’s record stands at 27:35, set by Precious Mashele at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY GQEBERHA 10K in 2023, while Glenrose Xaba holds the women’s record of 31:12, achieved at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K in 2024. It\u2019s important to note that the R50\u00a0000.00 will be awarded to the fastest time.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThe standard of South African road running continues to rise at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY SERIES,\u201d adds Meyer. \u201cThis is evident from the fact that both the current men\u2019s and women\u2019s 10km national records were set at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY SERIES. In 2024, we paid out an impressive total of R610\u00a0000.00 in SA Athlete Incentives\u2014an achievement we are incredibly proud of as event organisers. Our goal is to build on this momentum by continuing to reward exceptional performances in 2025 and raising the level of competitiveness in South African middle-distance running.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Exciting New Talent for 2025<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n To help push these boundaries further, we\u2019ve already begun recruiting top talent for the 2025 series. Our first major announcement came last week: global running sensation Adriaan Wildschutt<\/strong>, will make his series debut at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY GQEBERHA 10K on Sunday, 13 April 2025. Adriaan had us on the edge of our seats in August 2024 when he competed in the Olympic 10\u00a0000m final, where he reset his record to 26:50.64, beating his earlier record by 5 seconds and securing an impressive 10th<\/sup> place. The holder of four national track records, Adriaan has announced his intention to pursue the SA 10km record at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY GQEBERHA 10K.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Meyer concludes: \u201cOur objective is to empower South Africa’s elite athletes to build successful careers without needing to compete abroad. We are confident that these incentives will attract the country\u2019s top talent and inspire spectacular performances across all five events in 2025.”<\/p>\n <\/p>\n According to reigning SA 10km Women\u2019s Champion Glenrose Xaba<\/strong>, the Absa RUN YOUR CITY SERIES\u2019 SA Athlete Incentives provide strong motivation for local athletes to push harder. \u201cThe incentives are very important to me because they\u2019re directly linked to performance times. The better my time, the better my chances of competing internationally. These incentives motivate me to stay at the top because the rewards are tangible. Breaking my own record would be a dream come true\u2014I\u2019d be the happiest woman alive,\u201d says Xaba<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Making his Absa RUN YOUR CITY SERIES debut in 2025, Adriaan Wildschutt<\/strong> shares Glenrose\u2019s sentiments regarding the SA Athlete Incentives. “The incentives are a fantastic way to motivate athletes,” says Wildschutt<\/em><\/strong>. “Just like when I was starting out, these kind of incentives provide crucial financial support, enabling athletes to prepare and travel for races and training. Unlike many other road races in South Africa, the Absa RUN YOUR CITY SERIES offers a broader range of incentives, which, in my opinion, sets it apart from the rest.”<\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/a>