27-year-old Alexandra-based Kabelo Mulaudzi underlined his status as South Africa’s leading sub-marathon athlete with an emphatic victory in the Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K on Sunday 13 July 2025 as Kenya’s Clare Ndiwa crossed the finish line in 30:50 to triumph in the women’s race.
Mulaudzi extended his sub-28-minute run to three consecutive races, clocking a personal best of 27:41 to win the highly contested race on the fastest circuit of the series.
With 27:08 athlete Vincent Kipkorir from Kenya in the field, the race was billed, not unrealistically, as Africa’s first sub-27 minute race, with Adriaan Wildschutt’s 27:28 national record also under threat. But those are fast times by world-class athletes and will take a power of beating.
In the end Mulaudzi did well to set a personal best and set himself on course to take his Absa RYC series to eight wins since 2023 by the end of the year with the Tshwane and Johannesburg races looking in the next two months.
Despite narrowly missing the national record, Mulaudzi still walked away with R30,000 in prize money, plus an R80,000 bonus for clocking a time under 27:45—bringing his total earnings to R110,000.
“Boasting a sold-out field of 10 000 runners, the Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K once again delivered world-class elite racing,” said Michael Meyer, Managing Director of Stillwater Sports and Founder of the Absa RUN YOUR CITY SERIES.
“Congratulations to our men’s and women’s champions – Kabelo Mulaudzi and Clare Ndiwa – who proved to be the best of the best on the day. Durban’s fast, flat route never disappoints and continues to attract top performances.”
Paced by Olympic 1500m semi-finalist Ryan Mphahlele and facing stiff competition from defending champion Elroy Gelant and Kipkorir, Mulaudzi delivered a dominant performance on the day – capitalising on near-perfect racing conditions.
The Boxer Athletics Club ace broke away from the lead bunch just after the 8km mark to win his second straight Absa RUN YOUR CITY SERIES race of 2025 after claiming victory in Cape Town on 11 May in 27:49. As he did in The Mother City, Lesotho’s Kamohelo Mofolo finished as the runner-up to set a new national record of 27:47, while Kipkorir grabbed third in 27:48.
Speaking after the race, 27-year-old Mulaudzi said he was happy to take the win, even though the original goal was to challenge the South African 10km record of 27:28 set by Adrian Wildschutt at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY GQEBERHA 10K in April.
“The competition was good. The field was full of the fast guys. I’m very happy to win the race,” said Mulaudzi, who is coached by Richard Mayer. “My target was to break the national record which ended up not happening today. I think the pace was a bit slow in the first 5km which is why I ended up missing the record.”
“It wasn’t meant to be, but this is not the end of the day, as I’ll try to break the record again in future. For now, my goal is to win the two remaining Absa RUN YOUR CITY SERIES events in TSHWANE and JOBURG.”
In an impressive display of quality running at depth, no fewer than ten athletes finished inside 28:30, with veteran Stephen Mokoka finishing as the first 40-year-old in 28:37.
In the women’s race, Ndiwa made a resounding South African debut as she produced a lighting fast 30:50 in a tight finish against compatriot Janet Mutungi who came home three seconds after her.
Pre-race favourite and 2022 champion Jesca Chelangat was third in 30:58 as Glenrose Xaba took fifth spot (31:50) to complete the race as the first South African woman. Speaking through a translator, the 20-year-old Ndiwa says she surprised herself to win the race.
“I’m happy to win, especially because it’s my first time racing in this country,” said Ndiwa. “The race was well-organized and the ladies gave me a tough time on the road. Surely, I’m going to come back to compete here in South Africa again.”
Meyer also acknowledged the top turn-out at the sold-out event. “We are incredibly grateful to the thousands of runners who took to the streets – your energy is what makes this event so special. Without you, none of this would be possible.
“And a heartfelt thank you to all our event sponsors and partners for their unwavering support. Their continued commitment plays a pivotal role in elevating the standard of the Absa RUN YOUR CITY SERIES and allows us to deliver an unforgettable race experience for both elites and social runners alike.”
Jabulile Nsibanyoni, Absa’s Head of Sponsorships, echoed those sentiments.“What an incredible day at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K! The vibrant tapestry of our community truly came alive through every step, stride, and cheer. Whether you ran, walked, or supported from the sidelines, your presence made a powerful impact.
“We’re proud to continue driving our R1 campaign, for every kilometre logged by a Team Absa member on Strava, we donate R1 towards uplifting communities across South Africa and are also pleased to support the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) as the official charity of the series.”
RESULTS: 2025 Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K
Date: Sunday 13 July 2025
Start Time: 08:00
Start Venue: Masabalala Yengwa Avenue (MY)
Finish Venue: Durban Beachfront (Golden Mile)
ELITE MEN
1 Kabelo Mulaudzi (RSA) 27:41, 2 Kamohelo Mofolo (Lesotho) 27:47, 3 Vincent Kipkorir (Kenya) 27:48, 4 Jummanne Ngoya (Tanzania) 27:50, 5 Elroy Gelant (RSA) 27:58, 6 Ryan Mphahlele (RSA) 27:59, 7 Rodgers Murei (Kenya) 28:05, 8 Bennett Seloyi (RSA) 28:12, 9 Aklilu Asfaw (Ethiopia) 28:16, 10 Benjamin Ratsim (Tanzania) 28:22
ELITE WOMEN
1 Clare Ndiwa (Kenya) 30:50, 2 Janet Mutungi (Kenya) 30:53, 3 Jesca Chelangat (Kenya) 30:58, 4 Rebecca Mwangi (Kenya) 31:13, 5 Glenrose Xaba (RSA) 31:50, 6 Debash Desta (Ethiopia) 31:55, 7 Selam Gebre (Ethiopia) 32:04, 8 Neheng Khatala (Lesotho) 32:07, 9 Aisha Cheptengeny (Kenya) 32:31, 10 Tayla Kavanagh (RSA) 32:52
