Adriaan Wildschutt walks away with an impressive R200 000 after his record-breaking performance at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY GQEBERHA 10K on Sunday, 13 April. The impressive payout forms part of a South African Elite Athlete Incentive Programme introduced by event organisers, Stillwater Sports, at the start of the 2025 Series.

Already the holder of three outdoor track national records, the 26-year-old added a fourth record when he ran 27:28 to win the first race of the 2025 Absa RUN YOUR CITY SERIES, finishing seven seconds inside the previous mark set by Precious Mashele at the same event two years ago.

In what was only the second senior road race of his career, Wildschutt took home R30 000 in prize money for crossing the finish line first, R120 000 for breaking 27:30 as part of the Absa RUN YOUR CITY SERIES SA Athlete Incentive Programme and a further R50 000 bonus for setting a new South African record.

“Earning the incentives from Absa is very important, not just for me but for all athletes. It allows you to start training full time so that you can focus on your training which allows you to perform at a high level,” Wildschutt said reflecting on the SA Athlete Incentive Programme which is the bedrock of the Absa RUN YOUR CITY SERIES’ drive to improve the standard of 10km running in the country.

Stillwater Sports Managing Director and Series Founder, Michael Meyer, highlighted that a significant portion of funding is dedicated to incentivising local athletes to deliver world-class performances. This includes support for travel and accommodation to all five Absa RUN YOUR CITY SERIES events, as well as the payment of appearance fees.

“We always strive to bring global running stars to the series, but this year we were exceptionally proud to welcome a South African global star, Adriaan Wildschutt, to the Absa RUN YOUR CITY GQEBERHA 10K,” says Meyer. “As a team, we are committed to developing the premier Elite Athlete Programme in South Africa. While our focus will always be on ensuring every runner — from first to last — enjoys the same high-quality experience, we also recognise the importance of attracting the world’s best athletes and nurturing local talent. To achieve that, we’ve built a comprehensive and meaningful Elite Athlete Programme.

Although the total prize money for the 2025 Absa RUN YOUR CITY SERIES is just over R1.6 million, we’re investing over R4.5 million annually into the overall elite programme. That includes supporting top-tier athletes from around the world — who have many racing options — by offering them a world-class racing experience here in South Africa.

It also means ensuring a larger group of South African elites can participate flying them in, accommodating them, and in the case of top performers, offering appearance fees. Very few events in South Africa offer a true Elite Athlete Programme like this, and it’s a key area where we allocate significant resources.”

Born and raised in Ceres, but now based in the United States of America, Wildschutt says knowing that the SA Athlete Incentive scheme was in place, made it an easy decision for him to take part in the race and spend money on flying his entire family from the Western Cape to witness his record-breaking run.

“It is always better not to have to worry about finances,” confirms Wildschutt. “These financial incentives also make travel easier, and you can get all the things that you need. Having my family in town, I knew that we could do a few things together and spend some money because I knew that all my travel costs were covered. Coming all the way from the US and knowing that all the finances are covered is a great comfort to have.”

Meyer continues, “When a record is broken at one of our races, it doesn’t just make local headlines — it attracts global attention. That’s what we’re aiming for: to marry the excellence of African athletes with the excellence of our cities. That remains our long-term vision, while continuing to invest in development and the broader running community.

This year, we’ve introduced impressive elite performance incentives for athletes dipping under specific time barriers, along with an additional reward for breaking a South African record. Adriaan’s phenomenal run on Sunday earned him R30,000 for the win, R120,000 for going under 27:30, and R50,000 for setting a new SA record — a total of R200,000.

In addition to earning R20 000 for his third-place finish, Kabelo Mulaudzi received a further R40 000 for running under 28 minutes, while Glenrose Xaba also secured R20 000 for finishing third and an additional R40 000 for dipping under 32:08 in the women’s race.”

In closing, Meyer adds, “We are incredibly proud to reward such outstanding performances by South Africa’s elite athletes.”

EVENT DATES: 2025 Absa RUN YOUR CITY SERIES

Charity Support: The Absa RUN YOUR CITY SERIES proudly supports the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) as the official charity of the entire series of events. A non-profit leader in the fight against cancer since 1931, CANSA enables research, educates the public and advocates for and supports all people affected by cancer, while leading SA towards a cancer-free society. When entering an Absa RUN YOUR CITY SERIES event online, runners can show their support by donating towards CANSA.

Prize Purse: The Absa RUN YOUR CITY SERIES boasts an impressive, combined prize purse of R1 610 000.00 in 2025. Each of the five events will feature a total prize allocation of R322 000. Of this, R252 000.00 will be dedicated to the Open Category, with R126 000.00 awarded to the Top 10 Open Men and R126 000.00 to the Top 10 Open Women. The top male and female finishers in each city will receive R30 000.00 each, with R25 000.00 going to second-place finishers and R20 000.00 to third-place finishers.

Additionally, R70 000.00 will be allocated to Age Categories. The Age Category prize pool will reward the top three finishers in the Junior, 40–49, 50–59, 60–69, and 70+ age groups.”

South African Athlete Incentives: The Absa RUN YOUR CITY SERIES also has an unprecedented “SA Athlete Prize Incentive Schedule” for 2025. Applying to all five races, the incentive schedule offers bonuses for exceptional performances. In the men’s category, bonuses will start for times faster than 28 minutes, with a substantial R200 000.00 bonus for breaking the 27-minute barrier. For women, bonuses begin for times faster than 32:08 minutes, with an impressive R200 000.00 incentive for breaking the 30:23 mark.

To further raise the stakes, a bonus of R50 000.00 will be awarded to the South African athlete who breaks the SA 10km record (at the time of the race). It is important to note that the R50 000.00 will be awarded to the fastest time.

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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/