Stillwater Sports, the organiser of the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series, is excited to announce that the Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K (that will take place on Sunday 9 July 2023) will feature a separate elite women’s start, followed by the elite men’s and mass participation field, paving the way for Ethiopia’s Yalemzerf Yehualaw, to challenge the women-only 10km World Record which stands at 30:01.

Yehualaw is the current women’s World Record holder in the 10km mixed race with a time of 29:14 and will attempt to break the current women-only 10km Record. . The organisers hope that such a performance will see the first 10km World Record in road running ever set on the African continent.

“I’m really excited to be running the Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K on 9 July. I’ve heard many good things about the race and that it is known as a fast course. I like to challenge myself and run fast so I will be looking to leave a legacy and write athletics history in Durban,” said Yalemzerf Yehualaw from her training base in Addis Ababa where she prepares under the watchful eye of her coach, Tessema Abshero.

“We have seen some incredible performances at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K over the years,” says Michael Meyer, Managing Director of Stillwater Sports and founder of the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series. “Traditionally Durban experiences near perfect weather conditions for running in July. With the separate starts for men and women, the deep field and the fast course, we may well be in for something special in the women’s race. An athlete with the calibre of Yalemzerf (Yehualaw) is capable of doing incredible things.”

The Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K has delivered on more than one occasion. Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei set a new SA All Comers 10km Record of 27:16 in 2018, the first South African to break 28 minutes in South Africa when Maxime Chaumeton ran 27:58 in 2022; while Jesca Chelangat’s 30:41 in 2022 took 14 seconds off the previous SA All Comers Record. The stage is set for a memorable day of racing, and possibly a new chapter in road running in South Africa.

The event organisers would like to invite runners and walkers to enter the event and be part of this historic occasion for South African sport.

EVENT INFORMATION:  2023 Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K

CHARITY SUPPORT: When entering the 2023 Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K online runners and walkers can make a difference by supporting five local charities: 1. Reach For A Dream Foundation (RFAD), 2. Durban & Coast SPCA, 3. TREE (Training and Resources in Early Education), 4. LIV Village and 5. iThemba Lethu.

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/

SA ATHLETE INCENTIVES: The oganisers of the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series have confirmed the biggest incentive purse to date in the history of South African road running in the build up to the annual Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K. The incentive structure will see South African men earn bonuses for times faster than 28:30, culminating in a bonus of R200 000,00 for a time under 27 minutes. On the female side the incentives will start for times faster than 32:00.

With the announcement of the SA Athlete Incentives for the 2023 Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K, and the excellent level of middle distance running currently in South Africa, the organizers hope that world class times will be recorded by the top SA athletes on the very fast Durban course. For more information visit: https://runyourcityseries.com/rich-pickings-for-sa-athletes-as-absa-run-your-city-durban-10k-announces-unprecedented-prize-incentives/

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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/