Bonface Orucho, SPNA
This Sunday, on May 11, the streets of Cape Town will welcome some of the top African athletes as the Absa RUN YOUR CITY CAPE TOWN 10K celebrates its 10th anniversary.
Among the headline contenders is Kenya’s Asbel Kiprop Rutto, who returns to Cape Town with unfinished business and a bold promise: to win and run a personal best.
The 23-year-old, who first raced internationally at this event in 2022—finishing fourth in 28:25—has since become one of the continent’s top long-distance talents.
He won the 2024 Rome Marathon in a course record time of 2:06:24 and recently placed fourth at the Vienna Marathon but says he still has the speed to dominate over 10km.
“Even though I am now a marathon runner, I still have speed… I’m here to run fast and win,” said Rutto, who trains in the high-altitude town of Iten, Kenya.
Since 2022, when he last competed at the competition, clocking a 28:25 personal best and finishing fourth, he’s improved to a sizzling 27:55 and is now seeking to top the podium on his return.
Despite shifting to marathons, Rutto believes he still has the gears for the shorter distance. “Even though I am now a marathon runner, I still have speed,” he added, drawing inspiration from South African legend Stephen Mokoka, whose career has blended endurance and speed in remarkable fashion.
Rutto won’t have it easy. Elroy Gelant, fresh from a historic national marathon record (2:05:36) set just weeks ago in Hamburg, is also on the start line—though he says he’s not chasing times this time around.
“I’m going to take it easy on Sunday,” Gelant told reporters. “But that doesn’t mean I won’t be competitive. It’s about managing the race well.”
Also in the mix is Kabelo Mulaudzi, who has a lifetime best of 27:53 and is eager for another top finish, while Mokoka—ever a presence in South African road running—is expected to test his speed once again at age 39.
On the women’s side, Glenrose Xaba, the South African 10km record holder, is looking to make more magic in a city she calls “special.” Having already bagged national 5,000m and 10,000m titles this season, she’s targeting a sub-32-minute run.
“If I can run under 32 minutes and win, I’ll be happy,” she said. Xaba also holds the national marathon record set in Cape Town last year (2:22:22).
Challenging her will be a continental cohort that includes Selam Gebre of Ethiopia, Neheng Khatala, Lesotho’s national 10K record holder (32:01), and experienced South African runners Lebo Phalula and Cacisile Sosibo.
First held in 2015, the Cape Town 10K event has grown into one of Africa’s top road races, now part of a five-city series that includes Durban, Tshwane, Joburg, and Gqeberha. It has transformed local running culture by incentivizing fast times and elite performance.
“When we started, only Mokoka was consistently running world-class times,” Gelant said. “Now we’ve got a wave of athletes clocking incredible performances. This series has changed the game.”
This year, the Absa RUN YOUR CITY SERIES boasts a combined prize purse of R1.6 million, with R322,000 allocated per city. First-place finishers in both men’s and women’s open categories each stand to pocket R30,000, with time-based bonuses and South African record incentives sweetening the stakes. A R200,000 bonus awaits any South African man who breaks 27 minutes or woman who goes under 30:23.
Beyond medals and records, the event continues to support the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) and promote fitness across the country, drawing elite and mass participants alike.
As the gun goes off at 09:00 on Marine Drive, the continent will be watching—not just for the winners, but for the statement African road running continues to make on the global stage.
/SPNA
