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Glenrose Xaba, a renowned athlete competing for Boxer Athletic Club in red, is targeting a victory in the Mangaung 10K race to achieve success she has yet to secure despite an impressive season.

Despite brilliant performances in the Spar Ladies Series, which she has effectively made her own over the past three seasons, Xaba has not yet managed to win the Absa RUN YOUR CITY series race this year. The runner from Mbalenhle, Mpumalanga province, has also demonstrated high competitiveness in half marathons.

Last year and in previous seasons, Xaba won Absa races multiple times; however, this year she had to watch as athletes from Kenya claimed victories in Gqeberha, Durban, Tshwane, and Johannesburg.

Xaba intends to change this situation by winning the debut Absa RUN YOUR CITY Mangaung 10K race, scheduled for Sunday. Given her current good form, there are strong reasons to believe that the 31-year-old athlete will dominate the course in Bloemfontein, which is positioned as flat and fast.

Since her national record in the 10k distance was recently broken by Tyla Kavanagh, Xaba is very keen to improve her personal best of 31:12. Although she did not state this directly, hints suggest she aims to get closer to the new record of 30:50.

During a press conference before the race, the athlete, trained by legendary Kaster Semenya and her partner Violet, stated: 'I heard the course is flat and fast, and I look forward to giving everything I can, as always. I am in good shape and hope to have a great race. I was close to my PR in Gqeberha, so I would be happy to set a new PR on Sunday.'

Last week, Xaba confirmed her physical fitness by winning the Boxer Super Run 5K in Durban.

Meanwhile, the men's race promises to be an exciting confrontation. Kabelo Mulaudzi is aiming for his second series victory after taking first place in Johannesburg last month. He seeks to capture his eighth title in the RUN YOUR CITY series and looked very confident before Sunday's race, even though Felix Masai Kibet from Kenya announced his intention to beat his personal record.

Mulaudzi stated: 'I feel very good and am ready for Sunday. The competition is tough, but I will try my best. The field must work hard to win.' Kibet, whose personal record is 27:19, was equally firm in his intentions: 'I want to run a PR on Sunday.'

The event is officially sold out, and it is expected that 5000 participants will paint the streets of Mangaung red, as the capital of Free State hosts the popular 10-kilometer race series for the first time.

Michael Meyer, CEO of Stillwater Sports and founder of the series, expressed his enthusiasm for this landmark event. He noted that the debut Absa RUN YOUR CITY MANGAUNG 10K marks an exciting new chapter for the series, and they are proud of expanding their presence and bringing world-class road running to a new city, giving local fans the opportunity to see some of South Africa's best athletes compete against top international talent.

Meyer anticipates fierce competition at the forefront. He added that the level of the elite field promises a thrilling contest, and they eagerly await Mangaung coming alive as these athletes take to the streets in pursuit of fast times and outstanding performances. They are delighted to make Mangaung part of the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series journey and organize a memorable debut event for the city and its running community.

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.'