World’s best take to Durban streets on Sunday
The FNB Durban 10K CITYSURFRUN is the final leg in the 2017 ‘RUN YOUR CITY’ Series and promises to be a spectacle not yet seen on South African soil.
SOME of the world’s best athletes gathered in uMhlanga this morning ahead of the inaugural FNB Durban 10K CITYSURFRUN that takes place on Sunday.
The event kicks off at 8am in Masabalala Yengwa Street, in front of Moses Mabhida Stadium and ends at the Beachfront Precinct adjacent to the stadium.
Spearheading the men’s line up is World Championship 10 000m silver medallist, Joshua Cheptegei of Uganda and the fastest man ever over 12km, Morris Gachaga. Cheptegei said he will be keeping a close eye on South Africans, Stephen Mokoka and Elroy Gelant who he said would be wanting to impress the home crowd.
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Mokoka has indicated that he is keen to break his own SA 10km Record which currently stands at 27:38.
In the women’s lineup, four athletes have gone under 31 minutes for the 10km with two being on the road, and two on the track.
Paskalia Chepkorir seems to be the race favourite at this time with her 31:07 run in 2012. Kenya’s Veronica Nyaruai has also gone under 32 minutes on the road with her best time of 31:55. South Africa’s Dominique Scott-Efurd has clocked 31:51.47, while 19-year-old Mercyline Chelangat was timed at 31:40.48 in Rio last year when she finished 13th in the women’s 10 000m final at the Olympic Games.
Chelangat also has a 15:09.45 time behind her in the 5000m making her a very dangerous contender.
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The run forms part of the Run Your City Series which includes FNB Cape Town 12 ONERUN and FNB Joburg 10K CITYRUN.
“The race attracts some of the top athletes over the 10km distance, however, we hope that as the race grows, participants come to also love the race for the beautiful sites that it provides of Durban city. The run is not just a race, it is a platform that we hope becomes an event that captures the magic of the city and its people,” said Michael Honeywell, from FNB Business in KZN.
The FNB Durban 10K CITYSURFRUN is the final leg in the 2017 ‘RUN YOUR CITY’ Series and promises to be a spectacle not yet seen on South African soil.
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