By Adnaan Mohamed
On a sun-baked Sunday morning along Durban’s shimmering Golden Mile, the tar melted under the thunder of over 10,000 pounding feet—each chasing glory, each carving their rhythm on the city’s pulse. But as the dust settled and sweat cooled into salt, it was one man, Kabelo Mulaudzi, who rose once again from the chaos like a phoenix with spikes—his wings forged in resilience and his flight fuelled by ambition.
Clocking a blistering 27 minutes and 41 seconds, the 27-year-old sensation from Alexandra, cloaked in the familiar scarlet kit of Boxer Running Club, painted the beachfront red with triumph as he defended his Absa Run Your City Durban 10K crown.
They call him “Mr Podium,” and on this morning, he lived up to the name like a conductor returning to his favourite symphony, every stride a note in a masterpiece composed by sweat and spirit.
“Last year was tough with injuries, but I’ve bounced back strongly with consistent performances this season.”
“I’m proud of my performance because I came into this race determined to win,” Kabelo said, his words punctuated by gasps of air, sweat cascading down his temples like medals of effort.
Indeed, 2024 may have tested his body, but 2025 has witnessed his renaissance—a rebirth of resolve and rhythm. This was not just a race; it was a poetic duel against the ticking clock and a ghost in his mind: the South African 10km record of 27:48 set by Adriaan Wildschutt. Kabelo chased it with the hunger of a lion hunting it’s prey in the last kilometre.
Like a sprinter who felt the tailwind shift mid-race, Kabelo hinted at an unseen adversary—the race route itself, which had undergone slight changes this year.
“I had hoped to break the national 10km record,” he confessed.
“But I ran out of steam in the last 5km. That’s where I need to improve—finishing strong. Still, I clocked a personal best, making this one of my fastest races yet. But honestly, my target was the SA record.”
“Mofolo and Vincent gave me a real challenge today.”
“Durban is my favourite course, and had we gone out faster in the first 5km, I believe I could have broken the record,” he mused.
Indeed, Lesotho’s Kamohelo Mofolo stormed home like a bullet from the highlands, clocking 27:47, a national record for his country. Kenyan front-runner Vincent Kipkorir, the race favourite, found himself edged into third with 27:48.
It was a finish line shootout—a race so tight that six runners dipped under 28 minutes. It was indicative of the quality of the elite field assembled by the race organisers.
But Kabelo’s fire still burns hotter than ever.
“I wasn’t desperate to break the record—I just truly believed I had it in me,” he said, eyes fixed beyond the finish line, beyond this race, as if already imagining the next showdown. “I’ll keep trying, and I believe that in one of the upcoming races, I’ll get it right.”
With R110,000 in prize money earned—R30,000 for the win and an R80,000 bonus for his sub-27:45 pace—Kabelo’s real wealth lies not in cash but in consistency. It’s no fluke. His training, overseen by coach Richard Meyer, is a science of structure, repetition, and faith in the process.
“I’ve been focused on training and following my coach’s guidance,” he said with gratitude. “Our rivalry began in Tshwane when Mofolo beat me, but I’ve now managed to beat him twice in a row. I’m happy for him setting his national record.”
Kabelo now eyes the Central Gauteng Athletics 10K Champs, the Durban Hollywood 10K, and the next Absa Run Your City race with the hunger of a man chasing legacy, not just medals.
“My goal is to win the remaining Absa races and to stay healthy and injury-free.”
If Kabelo danced with the wind, Glenrose Xaba battled headwinds wrapped in asphalt. South Africa’s women’s 10km record holder came to Durban with dreams of rewriting her own legacy—but for the woman fondly dubbed as ‘Supercharger’— everything did not go as planned.20.
Xaba, running with the rhythm of ambition, finished fifth in 31:50, the top South African woman in a race dominated by Kenya’s relentless trio—Clare Ndiwa (30:50), Janet Mutungi (30:53), and Jesca Chelangat (30:58). A sweep so clean it felt like a brushstroke across the continent.
“Yeah, eish, the pace felt fine at the start, especially in the first kilometre,” she said, still catching her breath after the run.
“But from 2km onwards, there were way more hills than last year. The 2024 route was much faster, but this year’s course was really challenging.”
“There were too many climbs—it wasn’t flat at all,” she said
“I think there were three, maybe even four significant climbs, and that really took a toll on the body. By the time you hit the 6km or 8km mark, it felt like a completely different route.”
“I believe the course should’ve been flat from the start with no climbs, because it wasn’t the same as last year. If it had been, we all could’ve run faster times.”
Though her legs churned with effort, the result did little for her World Championships qualification hopes via the 10,000m rankings.
“I won’t lie—this result wasn’t good for my world ranking. It was one of the toughest I’ve run this year. My legs didn’t respond well over the last 3km, and I know I could’ve gone faster.”
She dismissed any talk of fatigue as a factor.
“No, I don’t think I’m tired or over-racing. I’ve been focusing more on mileage than speed in training. The problem was the hills—I’m used to flat courses, and I just couldn’t handle the climbs.”
With her world championship hopes in the 10,000m hanging by a thread, Glenrose is considering a tactical pivot—a shift to the 5000m, where her current global ranking offers more room to manoeuvre.
“I believe I’m still ranked well in the 5000m, and if I can secure a few more races in that event, it could improve my chances more than the 10,000m,” she said. “I think my manager is currently trying to find a race for me, ” she added.
There are two races remaining in the series, the TSHWANE 10k on Sunday, 24 August and the JOBURG 10K on Wednesday, 24 September on Heritage Day.
RESULTS: 2025 Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K
Date: Sunday 13 July 2025
Start Time: 08:00
Start Venue: Masabalala Yengwa Avenue (MY)
Finish Venue: Durban Beachfront (Golden Mile)
ELITE MEN
1 Kabelo Mulaudzi (RSA) 27:41, 2 Kamohelo Mofolo (Lesotho) 27:47, 3 Vincent Kipkorir (Kenya) 27:48, 4 Jummanne Ngoya (Tanzania) 27:50, 5 Elroy Gelant (RSA) 27:58, 6 Ryan Mphahlele (RSA) 27:59, 7 Rodgers Murei (Kenya) 28:05, 8 Bennett Seloyi (RSA) 28:12, 9 Aklilu Asfaw (Ethiopia) 28:16, 10 Benjamin Ratsim (Tanzania) 28:22
ELITE WOMEN
1 Clare Ndiwa (Kenya) 30:50, 2 Janet Mutungi (Kenya) 30:53, 3 Jesca Chelangat (Kenya) 30:58, 4 Rebecca Mwangi (Kenya) 31:13, 5 Glenrose Xaba (RSA) 31:50, 6 Debash Desta (Ethiopia) 31:55, 7 Selam Gebre (Ethiopia) 32:04, 8 Neheng Khatala (Lesotho) 32:07, 9 Aisha Cheptengeny (Kenya) 32:31, 10 Tayla Kavanagh (RSA) 32:52
