World-class Chepkorir, Khatala headline Mother City’s Mother’s Day race

World-class Chepkorir (Keya) and Khatala (Lesotho) headline the Absa 10K race in the Mother City on Mother’s Day

LESOTHO’S national marathon record holder Neheng Khatala and Kenya’s Diana Chepkorir are in a world-class group of elite women athletes to have broken 30 minutes in a 10km race.

The two will be on the starting line today for the Absa Run Your City Cape Town 10K in the Mother City on Mother’s Day.

It will be Khatala’s first Absa Series race of 2024 and she comes with formidable form after she achieved a remarkable 2:28.37 at the Hamburg Marathon in late April, securing 10th place.

This time though, Potchefstroom-based University of the North-West student Khatala doesn’t have a target time in mind.

“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,” said Khatala.

Together with Chepkorir, they will headline the women’s race. Chepkorir won last month’s Absa 10K in Gqeberha in 31:15.

Boasting a personal best of 29:56, the Kenyan says she loves racing in South Africa.

“I decided to come back to race here in South Africa because it is a nice place to visit. The country is so welcoming, and the races are well organised,” said Chepkorir, the diminutive East African who produced a personal best of 15:01 for 5km when she claimed fourth position at the Adizero Road race in Germany a fortnight ago.

“I hope for good weather on Sunday to perform at my best,” she added.

Chepkorir’s compatriot Vincent Langat is the favourite to win the men’s race.

Langat will be gunning for a second consecutive victory in the series.

However, Precious Mashele, the fastest South African in the field who challenged Langat in Nelson Mandela Bay, has other ideas.

“You remember that last year in Gqeberha I ran the national record (27:35) and that was because of the East Africans. They push us. They don’t run slow, they run hard from start to finish,” said SA 10km record holder Mashele.

“If you want to run fast, just chase them. I like running with them because they make us run personal bests. My body is responding well. On Sunday (today), my goal is to finish on the podium. Anything is possible, though. I think I can be the first man to cross the line.”

Mashele leads the South African charge that includes the in-form Elroy Gelant, Stephen Mokoka and Kabelo Mulaudzi, all of whom have finished on the podium in previous editions of the Absa Series.

The race starts at 9am on Marine Drive in Milnerton and ends at Lower Long Street opposite the Absa building in central Cape Town.