Kusche ready to challenge the 10km specialists as Kibet targets victory at Absa RUN YOUR CITY TSHWANE 10K

Image: Action Photo

Refusing to be pigeonholed as an ultra-marathon specialist, reigning Comrades Marathon champion George Kusche is setting his sights on a fast time at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY TSHWANE 10K on Sunday 23 August 2026, while Kenya’s Salem Kibet arrives ready to challenge for victory.

Returning to South Africa in 2023 armed with a sub-four-minute mile and a 13:28.95 5000m personal best following a productive college track career on the highly competitive US NCAA circuit, Kusche set about making steady progress as a road runner.

A 28:56 at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY GQEBERHA 10K in 2024 was followed by a 2:20:12 42.2km debut at the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon six months later, and fourth position at last year’s Soweto Marathon signalled that his transition from track to road athlete was complete. On 14 June Kusche celebrated a record-breaking run at the 99th edition of The Ultimate Human Race (Comrades Marathon), when he clocked 5:15:56 to smash the previous Up Run record by more than eight minutes.

Importantly, the 28-year-old reveals that 10km running remains the basis of his ultra-marathon success, which is why he is eager to test himself against the speed merchants at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY TSHWANE 10K on 23 August.

“It’s very important for me to run a fast 10km because I train as a marathon athlete year-round and then I just switch to Comrades-specific training in March. And if you want to be a good marathoner, you must be able to run a good 10km. So I’m hoping to be able to run a good race at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY TSHWANE 10K. I’d love to see if I can run sub-30 minutes, which should be a good time at altitude. I’m curious to see how well I can do. I’m in decent shape and I’m really looking forward to this.”

If Kusche can break 30 minutes, then he could find himself in the lead bunch running alongside the likes of Kenya’s Salem Kibet. Last year, for example, only ten men were able to break the 30-minute barrier at the notoriously hilly Absa RUN YOUR CITY TSHWANE 10K, where Kibet will line up as one of the pre-race favourites.

After taking second place behind the iconic Joshua Cheptegei at last month’s Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K in a lifetime best of 27:29, Kibet is hopeful of securing victory this time around.

“My target is to improve on my performance from Durban and compete for the win,” says Kibet. “Finishing second in Durban was not easy, especially running alongside a great athlete like Joshua Cheptegei. That experience taught me a lot. I thank God for the opportunity, and I am looking forward to giving my best in Tshwane.”

With these two athletes (amongst others) bringing very different strengths to the start line, Stillwater Sports Managing Director Michael Meyer believes the stage is set for an exciting contest:

“George Kusche’s decision to test himself over 10km against a field of established specialists adds another fascinating dimension to what is shaping up to be a highly competitive Absa RUN YOUR CITY TSHWANE 10K,” says Meyer. “He has already shown that he has the speed and endurance to compete at the highest level, and it will be exciting to see what he can produce over 10km after his record-breaking Comrades victory. At the same time, Salem Kibet arrives in Tshwane with enormous confidence following his 27:29 in Durban and will be determined to go one better this time. With athletes of this calibre on the start line, we can expect another exciting edition of the Absa RUN YOUR CITY TSHWANE 10K.”