Living up to its reputation, the Absa RUN YOUR CITY CAPE TOWN 10K will boast an impressive Women’s Field on Sunday 14 May 2023 with the announcement that Glenrose Xaba (South Africa), Neheng Khatala (Lesotho), Fortunate Chidzivo (Zimbabwe) and Veronica Loleo (Kenya) have accepted the challenge to race against one of the World’s best female athletes, Prisca Chesang (Uganda), who boasts an impressive 10km personal best time of 30:19.
One of the first female athletes to be announced, Chesang is excited to make her Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series debut in the Mother City on Mother’s Day. The 19-year-old speedster can, however, expect some tough competition come race day.
Fresh off her massive PB of 32:23, an improvement of 22 seconds, Glenrose Xaba will be full of confidence after her run in Gqeberha on 2 April at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY GQBERHA 10K. Such is the confidence in the 28-year-old Boxer Athletics Club and PUMA South Africa athlete that a sub 32 is now on her radar. “I have 31 minutes in my legs,” she enthused after smashing her PB in Gqeberha. Xaba was dominant in 2018, 2019 and in 2020 despite the Covid pandemic. In 2018 she was unbeatable over 10km, in 2019 she set her 10km PB (now broken) and in 2020 she went sub 70 in the Half Marathon. “I have been trying to break my 10km PB for ages now and it finally happened. As I was approaching the finish line, I saw the clock read 31:57. I then knew that I am close to that sub-32.”
The South African can expect a tough challenge from Lesotho’s four-time National Record Holder, Neheng Khatala who took a whopping 69 seconds off of her season opening time of 33:54 when she finished 5th at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY GQEBERHA 10K on Sunday 2 April. Khatala boasts a 32:06 10km best and has a liking for the Cape Town course. With a good solid training block behind her, she will be keen to better the time of 32:45 that she ran in Gqeberha. “I love running in Cape Town, I do well in Cape Town. The last time I ran my PB, so I am excited about racing at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY CAPE TOWN 10K again.”
Zimbabwe’s Fortunate Chidzivo will also line up on Sunday 14 May. The Zimbabwean boasts a 10km best of 32:26 and is a tough competitor.
All the elite female athletes however, including Chesang, will need to keep a wary eye out on Kenya’s Veronica Loleo. The 25-year-old is in the form of her life after running a half marathon best of 68:03 in Ghent (Belgium) in March this year. This after clocking 31:52 in Brasov (Romania) in 2022.
The women’s race could be history in the making. The winning time in 2022 was 30:40 set by Stella Chesang. The Ugandan dragged six women with her to go under 32 minutes, and 2023 could very well go the same way with the caliber and depth of women that will assemble on the start line come Sunday 14 May.
“To say that we are excited by the quality female field that will line up on Sunday 14 May 2023 is an understatement,” says Michael Meyer, Managing Director of Stillwater Sports and Founder of the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series. “It is important that we show Africa excellence in women’s running and we are proud to do so at the 8th annual Absa RUN YOUR CITY CAPE TOWN 10K. Not only are we thrilled to welcome Prisca, one of the best 10km female athletes in the world, to the Mother City to race, but we are also excited to give local athletes such as Glenrose and other elites such as Neheng, Fortunate and Veronica the opportunity to race the best on SA soil. We can’t wait to watch the action unfold.”
EVENT INFORMATION: Absa RUN YOUR CITY CAPE TOWN 10K
| DATE: | Sunday, 14 May 2023 |
| START VENUE: | Woodbridge Island, Milnerton |
| FINISH VENUE: | Lower Long Street opposite Absa Building |
| START TIME: | 08:00 |
| ENTRY FEE: | 1. Standard Entry: Licenced Runners R240.00· Temp Licence: R40.00 Standard 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 · Transport Service (to Start or from Finish) |
| 2. Gold Package: R1200.00 Gold Package Includes: · Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series Event Performance T-shirt · Absa Entrant Gifts · DHL Water Bottle · Exclusive Gold Package Gifts · Race Number with Timing Chip · Access to Pre-race VIP Area (incl. refreshments) · Preferential Start Seeding · Sponsor Route Entertainment Points · Route Entertainment Points · 2 x Refreshment Stations on Route · Tog Bag Drop and Collect Service · Access to Post-race VIP Area (incl. refreshments, massage, ablution facilities) · Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series Finisher’s Medal · Transport Service (to Start or from Finish) |
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/
CHARITY SUPPORT: Celebrating its 8th anniversary in 2023, when entering the Absa RUN YOUR CITY CAPE TOWN 10K runners (and walkers) can support one or all five of the event’s charities: Cape of Good Hope SPCA, Cotlands, help2read, Die Burger Kinderfonds and Reach For A Dream.
Facebook: @CapeTown10k
Instagram: @CapeTown10k
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/
