Lesotho National and SA All-Comers Records in sight as Mofolo and Chelangat enter Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K

Image: Mark Sampson

Following a strong start to the year, Kamohelo Mofolo is confident he’s ready to deliver the fastest 10km performance in Lesotho’s history when he lines up for the Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K on Sunday, 13 July 2025. In the women’s race, former champion Jesca Chelangat of Kenya is in peak form and will be aiming to break the SA All-Comers Record on her return to Durban.

Mofolo is reaping the rewards of a strong 2025 season, having improved his personal best at both the Absa RUN YOUR CITY GQEBERHA 10K (28:11) and the Absa RUN YOUR CITY CAPE TOWN 10K (27:53). Reflecting on his runner-up finish in ‘The Mother City’ on 11 May, Mofolo believes he is now poised to surpass Namakoe Nkhasi’s 27:52 and become the fastest 10km runner in The Mountain Kingdom’s history.

“The race was enjoyable and I’m happy with my second place finish. Running my first 27 minute 10km makes me happy because this has been the plan that coach and I put in place for this year. I can break that national record and I feel that I can even run inside 27:50. That’s what I’ve been planning,” says a confident Mofolo.

Making a comeback to the Absa RUN YOUR CITY SERIES for the first time since 2022 is Jesca Chelangat. Two months after finishing ahead of multiple World Record holder Genzebe Dibaba at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY CAPE TOWN 10K, the 27-year-old Kenyan announced herself to the global running public with a memorable victory at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K where she clocked 30:41 to set a new SA All-Comers record. 

“l enjoyed racing in Durban because people along the course really cheered for us a lot. The Absa RUN YOUR CITY SERIES motivated me to believe in myself, believing that I can do even better and it also gave me confidence to race against a strong field,” admits the Kenyan. 

Chelangat used that breakthrough performance as a springboard to international success. In July, she will return to the City of eThekwini with a personal best of 30:01 - making her one of the 25 fastest female 10km athletes of all time and giving her a realistic chance of surpassing the 30:37 course record set by her compatriot Christina Njoki last year, weather permitting.

In closing, Chelangat adds: “My training is going very well. Therefore, I will try to run an even faster race so that I can lower the course record of the Absa RUN YOUR CTIY DURBAN 10K.”

“It’s always exciting to welcome top international elites to the Absa RUN YOUR CITY SERIES, especially when they arrive with the ambition to chase national and SA All-Comers Records,” says Michael Meyer, Managing Director of Stillwater Sports and Series Founder. “Having athletes like Kamohelo Mofolo from Lesotho and Jesca Chelangat from Kenya toe the line is not only exciting - it’s important for the continued growth of road running in South Africa. Strong international competition raises the bar, pushes local elites to new heights, and ultimately elevates the standard of racing across the board. We can’t wait to welcome Kamohelo, Jesca, and all the elites to Durban, and we wish each and every one of them the very best on race day.”

CHARITY SUPPORT: The Absa RUN YOUR CITY SERIES proudly supports the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) as the official charity of the entire series of events. A non-profit leader in the fight against cancer since 1931, CANSA enables research, educates the public and advocates for and supports all people affected by cancer, while leading SA towards a cancer-free society. When entering an Absa RUN YOUR CITY SERIES event online, runners can show their support by donating towards CANSA. 

Prize Purse: The Absa RUN YOUR CITY SERIES boasts an impressive, combined prize purse of R1 610 000.00 in 2025. Each of the five events will feature a total prize allocation of R322 000. Of this, R252 000.00 will be dedicated to the Open Category, with R126 000.00 awarded to the Top 10 Open Men and R126 000.00 to the Top 10 Open Women. The top male and female finishers in each city will receive R30 000.00 each, with R25 000.00 going to second-place finishers and R20 000.00 to third-place finishers. 

Additionally, R70 000.00 will be allocated to Age Categories. The Age Category prize pool will reward the top three finishers in the Junior, 40–49, 50–59, 60–69, and 70+ age groups."

South African Athlete Incentives: The Absa RUN YOUR CITY SERIES also has an unprecedented “SA Athlete Prize Incentive Schedule” for 2025. Applying to all five races, the incentive schedule offers bonuses for exceptional performances. In the men’s category, bonuses will start for times faster than 28 minutes, with a substantial R200 000.00 bonus for breaking the 27-minute barrier. For women, bonuses begin for times faster than 32:08 minutes, with an impressive R200 000.00 incentive for breaking the 30:23 mark.

To further raise the stakes, a bonus of R50 000.00 will be awarded to the South African athlete who breaks the SA 10km record (at the time of the race). It is important to note that the R50 000.00 will be awarded to the fastest time.

To view the 2025 Prize Purse Breakdown and SA Athlete Incentive Schedule, visit https://runyourcityseries.com/