The first Absa RUN YOUR CITY MANGAUNG 10K race promises to be an exciting event with the participation of elite male and female athletes in the City of Roses. As is customary in this popular series organized by Stillwater Sports, the country's top runners will face competition from invited East African participants.
Among the South African representatives are expected to be athletes such as Kabelo Mulaudzi and Steven Mokoka, who should carry the flag of South Africa amidst fierce competition from Kenyan runners, such as Felix Kibet Masai.
Arthur Jantjes, winner of the first Nelson Mandela Marathon in Cape Town, intends to demonstrate his effectiveness over shorter distances, having been the champion of the Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon.
Women's Race
In the women's race, Glenrose Haba will once again represent South Africa, aiming to prevent Deborah Chemutai and Jacqueline Rotich from winning for Kenya.
Haba may be targeting the World Athletics Half Marathon Championship next year, but she showed her speed by winning the Boxer Durban 5k race last week, despite intensive preparation for the 21.1 km distance.
Another runner arriving in Mangaung with high confidence is Neheng Katala from Lesotho, who also won last week. The Hollywood Athletics Club star won the Hollywoodbets Joburg 10k on Sunday, although it remains unclear if she can participate in the race competitively given the challenging route in Soweto.
There is also local runner and favorite of South African road running, Gerda Stein, who eagerly awaits participation in the race in her home province.
Gerda Stein stated: 'When October 25th comes, I hope to perform well at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY MANGAUNG 10K. I hope the crowd and strong competition around me will motivate me. My goal is to squeeze out the maximum from myself on race day that I can expect.'
Focus on Mulaudzi
However, most attention will be focused on Mulaudzi. The runner from Boxer Athletics Club finally won this year at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY JOBURG 10K race exactly one month ago.
After an impressive run where he finished in 28:48, he stated: 'I fought this year, so I wanted to defend my title because everyone forgot about me. I am happy to be back. This is my first win this year and in this series. I am very happy.'
He aims to become the first winner of the Mangaung race and solidify his status as the king of the Absa series, having won four out of five races last year.
However, Mulaudzi will not be alone in the fight; Kibet has made it clear that he accepts nothing but victory. The Two Oceans half marathon winner, Kibet, participated in the debut Absa RUN YOUR CITY race in Durban, where he placed ninth, and decided to return to experience these well-organized events once more.
He returned in significantly improved condition, lowering his personal record to an impressive 27:19 in Prague last month. Kibet noted: 'I am very satisfied with my results in Prague. After that personal record, I knew I would focus on the Absa RUN YOUR CITY series. I look forward to a good performance and taking a spot on the podium.'
