Faith Cherono joins Brenda Jepchirchir for historic Gqeberha 10K showdown

As if world leader Brenda Jepchirchir was not a marquee signing enough, Stillwater Sports have gone on to elevate the competition for next weekend’s Absa RUN YOUR CITY Gqeberha 10K to greater heights with the addition of another superb Kenyan athlete.

Faith Cherono has been confirmed for the opening race of the opening event of the popular five-city series in the Windy City on Sunday, March 1. Her presence will ensure the fastest women’s 10km field ever assembled on African soil, with South Africa’s Glenrose Xaba and Tayla Kavanagh set to be tested to the limit.

Like Jepchirchir, Cherono will go into the Gqeberha race on the back of a stellar showing at the Valencia 10K, where she ran a lifetime best of 30:06.

The 27-year-old runner, who began her career as a 5000m athlete and cross-country runner, had been off the sport for a while and was delighted to have run as well as she did in her proper race on the comeback trail.

Valencia’s 10km Course: Cherono’s Comeback and Ambitions for Sub-30-Minute Run on African Soil

“Valencia's 10km course is very fast, and there are many strong athletes to run with. I am grateful to have made a comeback after a break which was health-related. My improvement in Valencia was a result of lots of hard work with my teammates, including Brenda (Jepchirchir). It took a lot of time to fight back, and I am thankful to have made it,” Cherono said.

Having initially introduced herself to the international circuit with a 30:50, which earned her fourth place at the 2022 Adizero Road To Records race in Germany, Cherono has shown with the run in Valencia that she still has it. That run puts her in sixth place for the 2026 season in the 10km, and her presence in Gqeberha is sure to up the standard of the competition.

She ran again after Valencia, finishing fifth in the elite women’s 10km race at the Sirikwa Classic World Cross Country Tour event in the Rift Valley on Valentine’s Day and is eager to produce the first-ever sub-30-minute 10km by a woman on African soil.

“I did well over the weekend in the grueling Sirikwa Cross Country in Eldoret, Kenya. I fought very hard and I was happy with the result, especially because I was still in full training as I wrapped up my preparations for the Absa RUN YOUR CITY GQEBERHA 10K. I really hope we will have a big day and run as fast as possible.” 

She added: “I enjoy racing around the world and I am happy to head to South Africa. Running fast on African soil, supporting serious and professional race organisers is important to me as a Kenyan woman.”

IOL Sport