Road runners in Pietermaritzburg and Durban can look forward to exciting races coming up.
The host club of the new race, SAPS KZN Athletics Club, said that their 10km event is expected to attract between 1 500 and 2 000 athletes from all over the province.
The organisers also praised local business Amor Grills, based in Prince Alfred Street, for coming on board as official sponsors.
Local SAPS spokesperson, Sifiso Gwala, said staging a road-running event can be very expensive and almost impossible to achieve without financial backers.
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Also, athletics followers will have another chance to watch two Comrades Marathon household names — Tete Dijana and Jenet Mbhele.
The Northwest-born Dijana won the Comrades Marathon in 2022 and 2023 (both down runs).
The uMzimkhulu-born Mbhele finished this year’s Durban-Pietermaritzburg marathon as the first KwaZulu-Natal athlete to cross the finishing line in the women’s race, securing an admirable eighth-place finish.
She was also the third South African woman to finish the race after record-breaking Gerda Steyn (5:49,46) and Carla Molinaro (06:12,01).
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“We are very lucky and blessed for confirmation that these stars will be taking part in our race ” said Gwala.
Meanwhile, the in-form Glenrose Xaba wants to replicate her form when she takes on the iconic Absa Run Your City Durban 10K on Sunday (July 7).
“I’m very happy about this season so far as I have been training very hard and have even lost some weight in order to fulfil my goals,” the athlete explained.
Xaba dipped under 32 minutes for only the second time in her career when she ran a scintillating 31:57 to fall just two seconds short of equalling her all-time best in Durban on Sun[1]day, June 23.
The reigning SA 5 000m and 10 000m champion said her desire to dip under 32 minutes again is fuelled by the opportunity of getting her hands on some of the generous financial incentives that the race organisers have put in place for local athletes.
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