Photo Credit: Fabienne Nicolas / James McKirdy

Declaring himself ready to run fast, Isaac Kibet Ndiema (Kenya) is excited to make his South African debut at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY GQEBERHA 10K on Sunday 1 March 2026.

“I chose to come and run the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series in South Africa because the course is really good for fast times and I wanted to see how fast I could run. Of course running in South Africa in your beautiful cities is also something I look forward to,” said Ndiema.

With all eyes on Adriaan Wildschutt’s attempt to break the SA Record of 26:55 (set by Maxime Chaumeton in October 2025 at the Brașov Running Festival in Romania), Ndiema who is the holder of a 26:55 personal best will start as the fastest man in the field and provide the world class competition that Wildschutt will require if he is to achieve his ambition of becoming the first man to produce a sub 27 minute 10km clocking on African soil.

“This would be a huge achievement. My training has been going on well and I am feeling prepared for the race,” confirms the Kenyan, who will start as one of the favourites to win the race through ‘The Friendly City’. “I will definitely go with the early pace  – this can help me to also run a good time in the end. Running sub 27 for 10km on African soil needs a lot of determination and good preparation – but if it is to be done, I think this series in South Africa is where it will be done.”

Hoping to benefit from the record-breaking pace set by the likes of Ndiema and Wildschutt, is Lesotho’s 10km national record holder, Kamohelo Mofolo who is poised to cement his place among the world’s elite marathoners – starting with a strong season opener at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY GQEBERHA 10K on Sunday 1 March 2026.

Trained by US-based James McKirdy, Mofolo first captured public attention when he won the 2024 Absa RUN YOUR CITY TSHWANE 10K ahead of Kabelo Mulaudzi and then followed that up with a maiden sub 28 minute clocking at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY CAPE TOWN 10K in May 2025. But it was the second 27 minute 10km run of his career, produced at last year’s Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K, that was most impressive. Mofolo finished as the runner-up just six seconds behind winner Mulaudzi, stopping the clock in 27:47 which was a new national record for The Mountain Kingdom.

“Last year I was so happy to run fast. I had been working so hard to train well and develop my body. My coach taught me how to race at another level and he helped build my mind. I did more weekly training runs and focussed very hard on speed and power,” said Mofolo.

His 10km success coupled with a dominant 1:00:52 victory on a windy day at the Nelson Mandela Bay Half Marathon convinced Mofolo and his team that he was ready to make his marathon debut. After the cancellation of the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon in October, Mofolo was invited to race the Honolulu Marathon in December, which ended in disappointment when he failed to finish the race.

“I was meant to debut in Cape Town but unfortunately the weather forced the race to be cancelled. I feel I was ready to run 2:05-2:06 because I even ran 25km fairly easy in 2:58/km and took all my nutrition. So we changed to Hawaii but then I got very sick. After the sickness I suffered with low iron. My coach and I decided to still honour the race invitation despite this and they were very kind to me. I wish to return.”

That ordeal proved a valuable lesson for the youngster who threw himself back into training after seeking medical attention. It means that Mofolo is now ready to rediscover his 2025 form with plans afoot to race another marathon all of which starts with the litmus test on the Absa RUN YOUR CITY GQEBERHA 10K course where he ran 28:11 for fifth position last year.

“This season I have big plans to truly make my marathon debut. The Absa RUN YOUR CITY GQEBERHA 10K is the start of my racing after being very sick. Last year this was also the start of my racing and I made a few mistakes during the race. But this year my hope is to run very strong and to compete well with the leaders. I hope for good weather so I can set another national record.”

“Having an athlete of Isaac Ndiema’s calibre targeting a sub-27 performance at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY GQEBERHA 10K immediately raises the level of competition and excitement around the race,” says Michael Meyer, Managing Director of Stillwater Sports and Series Founder. “When you combine that with the presence of athletes like Kamohelo Mofolo, who has shown remarkable progression over the past two seasons, it sets the stage for something special. Breaking the Lesotho 10km record and consistently dipping under 28 minutes confirms that Kamohelo belongs in world-class company. The Absa RUN YOUR CITY GQEBERHA 10K will be an important marker for him at the start of 2026. It’s incredible that South Africa’s elite athletes have the opportunity to test themselves against such formidable international competition on home soil, and we wish both Isaac and Kamohelo the very best of luck as they chase their goals in Gqeberha.”

EVENT DATES: 2026 Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series

2026 PRIZE PURSE AND SA ATHLETE INCENTIVES: The Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series boasts an impressive, combined prize purse of R1 686 000.00, complemented by innovative SA athlete incentives designed to ignite standout performances and unforgettable moments in 2026. Read more here: https://runyourcityseries.com/absa-run-your-city-series-unveils-a-r1-68-million-combined-prize-purse-and-unprecedented-sa-athlete-incentives/

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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/