Running News Daily

Kenyans outsprint locals and the rest in yet another Absa Run Your City race

Kenya’s Vincent Langat and Diana Chepkorir made it two wins in as many Absa Run Your City Cape Town 10K Series starts when they crossed the finish line first in the men’s and women’s races, respectively, in Sunday’s race in the Mother City.

Just five weeks after winning the Gqeberha, Eastern Cape, leg of the popular 10km race, Langat produced his first sub-28-minute clocking on South African soil when he won the Cape Town contest in 27:52.

Said Langat after the race:

I was excited when I made my move with 1km to go. This was my best win. Elroy is a strong guy. I like him and I appreciate the competition. I will now go and prepare for the Olympics in the 10 000m.

South Africa’s Elroy Gelant grabbed the second spot.

The two-time Olympian stopped the clock at 27:55, while Francis Abongo ran a personal best of 28:16 to claim third place in his first official 10km road race outside his native Kenya.

With three personal bests over 10km, 21km and 42km over the last nine months, 37-year-old Gelant says he feels more confident than ever. He had wanted to attack Precious Mashele’s 27:35 national record, even though the wind had other ideas.

He walked away with R85 000 in prize money—R25 000 for second place and R60 000 for breaking 28 minutes.

Said Gelant:

The wind was a factor. I just told myself, like a skipper who’s on a boat when there’s wind, you just need to change your sails, so I just changed by angle of running. But I knew that I would run well. I set my watch to SA record. I didn’t get there, but I’m still happy with the race.

Meanwhile, Chepkorir emulated her compatriot with her second victory in a row.

She clocked 31:47 to win in Cape Town after her victory at the Gqeberha race early in April.

Lesotho’s Neheng Khathala was the runner-up in 32:16, while Getenesh Sase Agafew of Ethiopia came in third in 32:48.

Lesotho star Neheng Khathala set to spice up Run Your City Cape Town 10K

Lesotho national marathon holder Neheng Khathala has confirmed her participation in this weekend’s Absa Run Your City Cape Town10K thus spicing up the women’s race.

Fresh from running her second fastest marathon time late last month when she finished 10th at the Hamburg Marathon with an impressive 2:28:37, Khthala will be up against her compatriot Blandina Makatisi who finished runner-up in the season-opening race of the popular Series in Gqeberha early last month.

Reflecting on her run in the German city, Khathala said she could have clocked a quicker time were the latter stages of the race not as difficult as they were.

“The second half of the race (refering to the Hamburg Marathon) was tough with a few small hills all the way to the finish. So that’s where I struggled. But I was well looked after and made it to the finish,” the Hollywoodbets Athletics Club athlete said.

‘See how the body responds’

She has been recuperating well since and she is looking forward to the sprint in the Mother City on Mother’s Day: “For recovery, I’ve just been jogging and seeing the physio - the usual stuff, nothing much. For Cape Town, I’ll just see how the body feels on the day and then I’ll take it from there. I don’t have a pre-determined objective to run a certain time. I will just run according to how the body responds.”

Having run just 31 seconds outside of her national marathon record, bet on Khathala to be among those challenging for victory in Cape Town where she has good memories of her previous Run Your City races. She ran a personal best time of 32:06 in 2022 and last year she occupied the third step on the podium, a sign that she enjoys running in the Mother City.

But the athlete based in Potchefstroom will have to bring it all out if she is to deny Diana Chepkorir a second successive victory in this year’s series. The 22-year-old Kenyan who is one of only 17 women worldwide to have broken the 30 minutes for the 10km, won the Absa Run Your City Gqeberha 10K early in April and will definitely toe the start line on Sunday as the favourite.

"We're thrilled to have Neheng Khatala return to the Absa Run Your City Cape Town 10K in 2024," says Michael Meyer, Managing Director of Stillwater Sports and Series Founder.

"With Neheng and Diana Chepkorir both confirming their entries, we're seeing an exceptional level of talent that’s elevating the standard of women's racing in the series. Their participation not only adds to the competitive edge but also underscores the international appeal of the Absa Run Your City Series. We’re expecting an exciting race in the women's field and look forward to witnessing their outstanding performances.”

Another Kenyan clean sweep at Absa Gqeberha 10K

Another race, another Kenyan clean sweep! What’s new as the East Africans continue to show their dominance in road running circles with displays that leave their opponents wondering just what it is they should do to catch up?

Nothing really, except that some South African runners were left lamenting the presence of their adversaries from the east despite their having earlier welcomed it as good for competition.

Vincent Largat and Diana Chepkorir reigned supreme in the men and women’s races respectively to be crowned champions of the Absa Run Your City Gqeberha 10K in windy conditions on Sunday morning.

It was a result similar to the one from the inaugural race in the Friendly City last year in which the Kenyan duo of Daniel Ebenyo and Fridah Nedina reigned victorious.

While Chepkorir started the race as favourite given her stellar PB of 29:56 ran in Castellon, Spain in February, Largat came out of left field to stun a confident group of South African runners who were out to run fast times.

Chepkorir ran home in a fairly good time of 31:15 ahead of Nancy Sang (31:39) and Ethiopian Selam Gebre (31:42) – with the three runners swelling their bank accounts by R30 000, R25 000 and R20 000 respectively.

The first South African woman home was Glenrose Xaba who finished way back in sixth place in a time of 33:04.Ahead of her in fifth place was Maxed elite Running Club’s Blandina Makatisi who broke Lesotho’s national record by a mere second in running a 32:05.

Such had been the low profile kept by Largat that he was not part of the elite men’s pre-race conference on Friday – so much so that the locals lamented the absence of the east Africans.

They did not know what hit them though as Largat pulled the proverbial rug from underneath their feat in a race that was tight until about the sixth kilometre when the top four – Largat, Elroy Gelant, Precious Mashele and Thabang Mosiako – broke away from the rest.

Fast finish

Largat proved to have a better kick at the end to breast the finish tape in a time of 28:01. National record holder Mashele appeared set for yet another runners-up berth as he did last year when he set the 27:35 mark only to be pipped at the finish by his Boxer Athletic Club teammate Gelant – the duo finishing just two seconds apart in 28:17 and 28:19.

Local boy Mosiako, who had been billed as the favourite, was fourth in 28:30 and surprisingly lamented the windy conditions as not being conducive to a good run. And to think there had been talk of him being at an advantage given he knows the route and is used to the conditions of his homeground.

The ‘slow’ race ensured that none of the local runners got to bank any of the incentives put aside for them for either breaking the national record or dipping under particular fast times.

All is not lost though, with the series still having four more races to go. Next up is the Run Your City Cape Town 10K on Sunday, May 12.

Faith Chepkoech wins 10K Facsa Castello

After a dismal performance at the 10K Valencia Ibercaja, Faith Chepkoech come back guns blazing as she bagged the women’s title at the 11th edition of the 10K Facsa Castellón on Sunday (25) in Castellon, Spain.

The 30 year-old who finished a distant 16th in her season opener in Valencia, fought off Ethiopia’s Fotyen Tesfay who was primed for the pole position having come with the fastest time on paper of 30:20.

Chepkoech clocked a new personal best of 29:50 to take the honors and was followed by Tesfay who also got a new personal best of 29:54 with Diana Chepkorir who was making her debut over the distance closing the podium in 29:56.

Kenyans Loice Chemnung and Jesca Chelengat finished in fourth and fifth in respective time of 30:09 and 30:23.

The race course record of 29:14 set two years ago by Ethiopia’s Yalemzerf Yahualaw remains standing.

LEADING RESULTS

10KM WOMEN

Faith Chepkoech  (KEN) 29:50

Fotyen Tesfay       (ETH) 29:54

Diana Chepkorir   (KEN) 29:56

Loice Chemnung  (KEN) 30:09

Jesca Chelangat    (KEN) 30:23