Although narrowly missing her goal of becoming the first woman to break the 30-minute barrier for 10km on African soil, Brenda Jepchirchir lived up to her pre-race favourite status at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY GQEBERHA 10K on Sunday, 1 March 2026. In the men’s race, defending champion Adriaan Wildschutt produced another commanding performance to retain his title in “The Friendly City.”

After a fast start that saw her go through halfway in 14:49 with her training partner Faith Cherono trailing by a few metres, the Kenyan who was paced by local hero Melikhaya Frans, romped to a stunning 30:15 victory just one second outside of the SA All-Comers Record run by Christine Njoki (Kenya) last August, Cherono took second (30:44) as South Africa’s Glenrose Xaba (32:13) rounded out the podium securing her fourth podium in her last five Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series starts.

“I was looking to run sub 30 minutes but because of the wind in the last 5km it was tough for me,” said Jepchirchir moments after the historic achievement. “But I’m still feeling good and I want to come back to run the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series again in Cape Town in May.”

Jepchirchir’s determination to produce a fast time in windy conditions was mirrored by Adriaan Wildschutt who dominated the men’s race. In the absence of pacemakers which put paid to the sub 27 minute record attempt, the 27-year-old US based athlete made the decisive move just before halfway. Wildschutt surged away from the fastest man in the field Isaac Kibet Ndiema (who has a 26:55 PB) to cross the finish line in 27:47 and successfully defend the Absa RUN YOUR CITY GQEBERHA 10K title he won last year.

Speaking to the media after the win that saw Ndiema take second (28:01) and debutante Tshepo Tshite finish in third position (28:09), Wildschutt admitted that although his performance may have been overshadowed by the late withdrawal of pacemakers Ryan Mphahlele and Luan Munnik, he would dearly love to try and run the first 26-minute 10km on African soil at another Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series race.

“The organization is great, and it has nothing to do with them when pacemakers cancel. It’s not in their control. These were just the circumstances. I was like, there’s no way I’ll run sub-27 alone on a windy day as well. But I gave up a lot of time to be here, so I didn’t want to be a quitter,” explained Wildschutt.

“If I have the right training partners, pacemakers and good conditions then it is possible. Absolutely possible! There are few things that I want to experiment with. Hopefully, I’m going to get another opportunity.”

“Initially Adriaan’s goal was to break 27 minutes. Unfortunately, both of the pacers we had secured withdrew at the last minute, one due to illness and the other due to injury. That naturally shifted the race dynamic and Adriaan had to adjust his strategy from chasing the clock to racing for the win. That’s the mark of a true professional – he assessed the situation, adapted, and still delivered fantastic racing for everyone out on the course. It’s always an honour to have an athlete of his calibre lining up in the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series. He brings intent, professionalism and excitement to every race,” says Michael Meyer, Managing Director of Stillwater Sports and Series Founder. “Brenda also produced an exceptional performance and came incredibly close to becoming the first woman to run under 30 minutes on African soil, which speaks volumes about the level of competition we witnessed today. We’d like to extend our sincere thanks to both athletes, all of our elite competitors, every entrant who took part, and our valued sponsors and partners. Their collective contribution is what makes days like this so special and adds to the excitement and success of the event.”

“Well done to all that participated in the Absa RUN YOUR CITY GQEBERHA 10K and joined Team Absa Walk Run on Strava. A huge congratulations to all the winners. It was inspiring to see so many people taking to the streets, with many different reasons for running, pushing themselves to achieve their individual goals,” said Jabulile Nsibanyoni, Head of Sponsorships at Absa. “Your stories have inspired us all, and we are immensely grateful for your contributions to the race in 2026. Thank you to our colleagues, volunteers, partner sponsors, and organisers who made this another memorable race.”

EVENT DATES: 2026 Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series

Win a Chery Vehicle: Kamva Mbambato was the lucky participant to drive home in a brand-new Chery Vehicle to the value of R269 900.00 courtesy of the event’s official Vehicle Partner, Chery South Africa.

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Hashtag:  #RunYourCity #AbsaRunYourCity

WhatsApp Line: 072 042 7613

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/