Glenrose Xaba finished the crossing line in a course-record time of 31:55, run by a South African woman at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY JOBURG 10K race in 2024.
Image: Supplied
South Africa’s top female long-distance runner, Glenrose Xaba, is proving to be a dominant force ahead of the Absa RUN YOUR CITY GQEBERHA 10K on April 13, 2025.
The national 10km and marathon record holder showcased her impressive form at the Athletics Gauteng North Championships last weekend, winning both the 10,000m and 5,000m events.
Xaba clocked 31:56.65 in the 10,000m on Friday, followed by a 15:20.00 finish in the 5,000m on Saturday. Despite being the clear favorite, she pushed herself to deliver a strong performance, running the second-fastest 10,000m time of her career.
“It was okay. It helped me to see how far my progress is in terms of my training and fitness. I wanted to challenge myself by running against the time, and I feel blessed to be injury-free.” said Xaba
Her recent victory at the Motsepe Foundation Race for Gender Equality further solidified her status as the runner to beat in Gqeberha. Now, with her sights set on the Absa RUN YOUR CITY SERIES, she is focusing on executing a well-paced race.
“The course is fair enough, All we wish for is good weather on the day of the race. I don’t want to put pressure on myself. My first target is to run an injury-free and smooth race, and then time will come by itself. I am going to run my own race and stay focused,” said Xaba
Wildschutt brothers set for Gqeberha showdown
Adding excitement to the men’s race, Nadeel Wildschutt will be making his Absa RUN YOUR CITY SERIES debut, aiming to break the 28-minute barrier. His competition includes his brother, Adriaan Wildschutt, who will be chasing Precious Mashele’s SA 10km record of 27:35, set at this very event in 2023.
Nadeel Wildschutt
Image: Facebook/ Nadeel Wildschutt
“I’m happy to say that I’ll run the Absa RUN YOUR CITY GQEBERHA 10K this year. It’s a change of mind to what I had originally planned at the start of the year,” said Nadeel, who recently clocked a 7:54 personal best in the 3000m.
The decision to enter the race came after encouragement from his brother. “I would say my brother persuaded me to run the race. Another thing that made me opt to run in Gqeberha is the quality field of athletes on the day. Adriaan, Elroy (Gelant), Kabelo (Mulaudzi), and Precious (Mashele) are all great runners and they are fast. If you want to be the best, you have to compete with the best. I think this field will push me towards my goals of being one of the best runners in the country.”
The Founder of the Absa RUN YOUR CITY SERIES and Managing director of Stillwater Sports Michael Meyer is eager to see how Xaba and Wildschutt perform in Gqeberha’s season-opening event.
“We are excited to see Glenrose Xaba in such outstanding form, delivering fantastic performances as she builds towards the Absa RUN YOUR CITY GQEBERHA 10K. We can’t wait to see her take on the competition in April. We’re also excited to welcome Nadeel Wildschutt, making his Gqeberha debut, adding to what is already shaping up to be a world-class field,” said Meyer
The series featured five races in Gqeberha, Cape Town, Durban, Tshwane, and Johannesburg, with a total prize pool of R1.61 million. South African athletes will have added motivation, as record-breaking performances come with bonus incentives, including R50,000 for a new national 10km record.
With top local and international talent set to compete, the 2025 Absa RUN YOUR CITY GQEBERHA 10K is shaping up to be an electrifying start to the series.
IOL Sport
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