Newly crowned national cross-country champion Zenzile Pheko has firmly established himself as one of the country’s in-form 10km runners and now turns his attention to the Absa RUN YOUR CITY JOBURG 10K at Mary Fitzgerald Square on National Heritage Day, Thursday, 24 September 2026.

The Boxer Athletics Club athlete produced the best Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series performance of his career in Tshwane on 23 August, just weeks after a back injury disrupted what he had hoped would be a strong showing over the distance at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K on 12 July.

Pheko went back to the drawing board and responded emphatically, clocking a blistering 13:52 over 5km at altitude at the Zet Sinqe Series at Vosloorus Stadium. That performance laid the foundation for his breakthrough in Tshwane, where he stormed to second place in 28:55 behind Kenya’s Salem Kibet.

“It was a big moment for me. It was big because it was the first time I was on the podium in the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series. Before that, my best performance was fifth place on my debut at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY GQEBERHA 10K earlier this year, then I finished in 21st position in Durban. In Pretoria, I was so happy because it’s something I had never achieved before,” he said.

Pheko continued his impressive run of form at the ASA Cross Country Championships at Curro Hazeldean, where the Munsieville (Krugersdorp area in Gauteng) resident produced a sensational performance to claim the senior men’s 10km title. He left a quality field in his wake, including national marathon record holder Elroy Gelant, Bennet Seloyi and Chris Mhlanga, who finished as the runner-up at the cross-country championships and third in the Tshwane leg of the country’s premier 10km series.

With the Absa RUN YOUR CITY JOBURG 10K now firmly in his sights, the 21-year-old is relishing the prospect of testing himself against a strong East African contingent on Heritage Day, insisting that he will not be intimidated.

“I’m very happy because I know that in the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series, I will face a strong challenge. So this win has boosted my confidence going into the race at Mary Fitzgerald Square on Heritage Day. I am not scared of the Kenyans. I expect them to come out guns blazing, but I’m not afraid of the challenge. I’m feeling a bit fluish, so hopefully I will recover on time. I expect a top-10 finish, but I will fight for a podium.”

Having made an immediate impact in the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series, Pheko has already established himself as one to watch, says Michael Meyer, Managing Director of Stillwater Sports:

“Although new to the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series, Zenzile is already making his presence felt in a big way,” says Meyer. “His second-place finish in Tshwane was a breakthrough performance, and to see him backing that up by winning the national cross-country title shows just how quickly he is developing. We’re excited to see what he can do in Joburg on Heritage Day, where he’ll once again have the opportunity to test himself against some of the best athletes in the country and from across East Africa.”

EVENT DATES: 2026 Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series

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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 now comprises six 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), the Absa RUN YOUR CITY JOBURG 10K (launched in 2016) and the Absa RUN YOUR CITY MANGAUNG 10K (launched in 2026). 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/