The organisers of the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series are excited to announce that one of the World’s best female athletes, Prisca Chesang (Uganda) who boasts a 10km personal best time of 30:19, will make her Absa RUN YOUR CITY CAPE TOWN 10K debut on Sunday, 14 May 2023.
On New Years Eve 2022, Prisca won the Madrid 10km in an astonishing time of 30:19. That made her unofficially the fastest ever junior athlete over the 10km distance, ranking her 6th on the Senior World List for 2022 and on the top 20 World All Time list. Although only 19 years of age, few female athletes of Prisca’s calibre have competed in South Africa.
“The Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series strives to attract the world’s best athletes to South Africa to race against our stars,”
says Michael Meyer, Managing Director of Stillwater Sports and Founder of the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series. “We are thrilled to welcome Prisca, one of the best 10km female athletes in the world, to the Mother City. It is important that we show Africa excellence in women’s running and we are proud to do so in the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series. Prisca, having run 30:19 at the Madrid 10km over New Year, will be one of the fastest ever women to race over 10k in South Africa.”
Prisca finished 7th overall at the World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst, Australia in February this year – in the senior division. The young sensation new heads to Cape Town, South Africa for the 2023 Absa RUN YOUR CITY CAPE TOWN 10K on Sunday 14 May and is expected to take the race by storm. In winning the San Silvestre 10km, she was almost a minute ahead of Olympian Francine Niyonsaba (31:16) who is the World Record Holder over 2000m.
Prisca follows in the footsteps of her famous country men and women, Joshua Cheptegei (multiple World Champion, Olympic Champion and double World Record Holder) and Stella Chesang (the 2018 10 000m Commonwealth Games Champion).
Prisca has already made a name for herself, winning Bronze at the World U20 Championships in the 5000m in both 2021 and 2022. But it’s her 10km time and her placing at the World Cross Country Championships in 2023 in the senior race that has the athletics world taking notice.
The route at the San Silvestre in Madrid is fast and flat as is the route of the Absa RUN YOUR CITY CAPE TOWN 10K which saw Stella Chesang clock 30:40 in 2022 to win the race and drag the top 6 women under 32min. Prisca will relish the course and can be expected to set a blistering pace come Sunday 14 May.
Prisca is expected to lead the iconic mass participation road race, the Absa RUN YOUR CITY CAPE TOWN 10K that will start in Milnerton and head off into the City Centre, hugging the Atlantic Coastline.
“I want to qualify for the World Championships,” says a very determined Chesang. “My training partner and captain of our group, Stella Chesang won last year in a fast time. So, I’ve heard very good things about the race. Some of my other training partners (Stephen Kissa and Joshua Cheptegei) have also run in Cape Town and Durban (at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K). According to them it’s like running in Europe, but in Africa. The races are well organized, while the courses are fast.”
“Cape Town is known as a beautiful city, so I hope to run well and get a chance to see some of the city attractions,” continues Chesang. “I am aiming to shoot for the World Championships qualifying time of 30:40. I ran well in the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in February, placing 7th and stayed for two weeks in Australia to do a 3000m and a 10km on the road. Afterwards I took a brief break before starting to build up again. Training has been good. The Absa RUN YOUR CITY CAPE TOWN 10K will be my first race again of the Sumer season, it will also be my first time in South Africa. I am really looking forward to it.”
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/