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Joshua Cheptegei, multiple Olympic and World Champion, and the current world record holder in both the 5 000m and 10 000m, delivered one of the finest 10km road performances ever witnessed on South African soil when he stormed to victory at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K on Sunday, 12 July 2026, crossing the finish line in a superb 27:19. In the women’s race, Doreen Cherop produced a stellar 30:43 to improve on her lifetime best and emerge as one of the surprise packages of the race.
Returning to the race where he set the SA All Comers record of 27:16 in 2018, the Ugandan superstar took control of the race from the gun passing the halfway mark in 13:48 before surging away from the field to cross the finish line in the second fastest time ever run in South Africa.
“The race was really good. I enjoyed running here in Durban,” said Cheptegei who was followed home by Kenya’s Salem Kibet (27:29) and his training partner Emmanuel Kibet (27:32), while Kabelo Mulaudzi in sixth (28:06) was the best of the South Africans.
“I decided to be a bit more aggressive after 5km because I saw that we were not very fast and I wanted to run a fast time. May be next time we can have more pacemakers for the men to build the first half tempo a bit more so we can run the second half in a controlled way. For me to come and win is exciting and gives me motivation to move on to my next goal.”
Having just missed out on eclipsing his own SA All-Comers Record, Cheptegei was nevertheless pleased with his outing, reporting that he would love to return to the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series while encouraging other top runners to do the same.
“It’s really an incredible atmosphere. Coming here and seeing all the fans was spectacular. For anyone who has never run here, they should reconsider running on South African soil.”
In the women’s race, Doreen Cherop overtook pre-race favourite Brenda Jepchirchir inside the last mile. Jepchirchir hung on to the runner-up position finishing in 30:52, as 3000m Steeplechase World Record holder Beatrice Chepkoech took third place in 31:25 for a Kenyan sweep of the podium. Durban local Tayla Kavanagh continued her superlative 2026 form with an encouraging 31:28 fourth place finish – just two seconds outside her personal best.
Speaking to the media after the race, Cherop said the win came as a welcome bonus because her main target was simply to finish in the top three. “The weather was great and the last five kilometres were very fast. I’m happy to win the race especially because my target was just to be on the podium.” Said Cherop.
“What we witnessed on the streets of Durban today was nothing short of extraordinary,” says Michael Meyer, Managing Director of Stillwater Sports and Series Founder. “Joshua Cheptegei once again demonstrated why he is regarded as one of the greatest distance runners of his generation with a truly world-class performance, while Doreen Cherop delivered a sensational run. Performances of this calibre inspire athletes, excite fans and continue to elevate the standard of road running in South Africa. We are incredibly grateful to all the runners, our partners, sponsors and the City of Durban for helping make this memorable day possible.”
“Equally inspiring was the incredible support from every runner who took to the streets today,” continues Meyer.“Whether chasing a personal best, running for a cause or simply embracing the electric atmosphere, every participant played a part in making this event so special. We are grateful to our title sponsor, Absa, our valued sponsors and partners, the City of Durban, volunteers, officials and spectators for making this unforgettable day possible. Together, we continue to showcase the very best of South African road running while inspiring the next generation of athletes to dream even bigger.”
“Well done to all who participated in the Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K and joined Team Absa Walk Run on Strava. A huge congratulations to all the winners. It was inspiring to see so many people taking to the streets, with many different reasons for running, pushing themselves to achieve their individual goals,” said Jabulile Nsibanyoni, Head of Sponsorships at Absa. “Your stories have inspired us all, and we are immensely grateful for your contributions to the race in 2026. Thank you to our colleagues, volunteers, partner sponsors, and organisers who made this another memorable race.”
ELITE MEN
1 Joshua Cheptegei (Uganda) 27:19, 2. Salem Kibet (Kenya) 27:29, 3 Emmanuel Kibet (Uganda) 27:32, 4 Victor
Okoth (Kenya) 27:50, 5 Agustino Daniel (Tanzania) 28:03, 6 Kabelo Mulaudzi (South Africa) 28:06, 7 Alex
Lenalepisho (Kenya) 28:10, 8 Musawenkosi Mnisi (South Africa) 28:11, 9 Filex Masai (Kenya) 28:13, 10 Leonard
Kwerit (Uganda) 28:19
ELITE WOMEN
1 Doreen Cherop (Kenya) 30:43, 2 Brenda Jepchirchir (Kenya) 30:52, 3 Beatrice Chepkoech (Kenya) 31:25, 4
Tayla Kavanagh (South Africa) 31:28, 5 Neheng Khatala (Lesotho) 32:04, 6 Cacisile Sosibo (South Africa) 32:36, 7.
Jackline Rotich (Kenya) 32:52, 8 Zanthe Taljaard (South Africa) 33:49, 9 Ntsoaki Molahloe (South Africa) 33:59,
- Zanele Maisa (South Africa) 34:21
EVENT DATES: 2026 Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series
1. Sunday 01 March 2026 Absa RUN YOUR CITY GQEBERHA 10K
Elite Men’s Winner: Adriaan Wildschutt (RSA) 27:47
Elite Women’s Winner: Brenda Jepchirchir (KEN) 30:15
2. Sunday 10 May 2026 Absa RUN YOUR CITY CAPE TOWN 10K
CANCELLED DUE TO SEVERE WEATHER FORECAST
3. Sunday 12 July 2026 Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K
Elite Men’s Winner:
Elite Women’s Winner:
4. Sunday 23 August 2026 Absa RUN YOUR CITY TSHWANE 10K / SOLD OUT
5. Thursday 24 September 2026 Absa RUN YOUR CITY JOBURG 10K / SOLD OUT
Facebook: @Gqeberha10k / @CapeTown10k / @Durban10k / @Tshwane10k / @Joburg10k
Instagram: @Gqeberha10k / @CapeTown10k / @Durban10k / @Tshwane10k / @Joburg10k
Hashtag: #RunYourCity #AbsaRunYourCity #Durban10K #JoshuaCheptegei #Greatest10KonAfricanSoil
WhatsApp Line: 072 042 7613
Websites: www.runyourcityseries.com
About Absa
Absa Group is listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and is one of Africa’s largest diversified financial services groups. Absa Group offers an integrated set of products and services across personal and business banking, corporate and investment banking, wealth and investment management and insurance. Absa operates in fourteen countries. The Group owns majority stakes in banks in Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania (Absa Bank Tanzania and National Bank of Commerce), Uganda and Zambia and has insurance operations in Botswana, Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, and Zambia. Absa also has representative offices in Namibia and Nigeria, and securities entities in the United Kingdom and the United States. For further information about Absa Group Limited, please visit www.absa.africa
About the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series
A proudly South African mass participation road running series, the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series has been revolutionizing the sport since 2015. A road running celebration like no other, the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series comprises five unique events namely the Absa RUN YOUR CITY GQEBERHA 10K (launched in 2023), Absa RUN YOUR CITY CAPE TOWN 10K (launched in 2015), the Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K (launched in 2017), Absa RUN YOUR CITY TSHWANE 10K (launched in 2023) and the Absa RUN YOUR CITY JOBURG 10K (launched in 2016). A diverse road running series, the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series integrates businesses, families, investment in community, world class achievement and fun for all participants. For further information please visit https://runyourcityseries.com/
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