By Adnaan Mohamed
The early morning air over Marks Park shimmered with energy with that familiar hum of nervous feet, racing hearts, and restless ambition. Johannesburg, the city of gold, played host to its newest gem in the running calendar: the inaugural Boxer Super Run Joburg. And it did not disappoint.
Fresh from painting Durban gold a few weeks ago, Ryan Mphahlele and Glenrose Xaba arrived in Jozi with purpose in their stride and fire in their lungs.
By the time the last echo of pounding feet faded, both had etched their names into yet another chapter of the Boxer Super Run story by being crowned King and Queen of the 5km on Sunday morning.
Mphahlele digs deep to defend his crown
Mphahlele stopped the clock at a searing 14 minutes 20 seconds earning a hard-fought win in the Elite Men’s Wave ahead of Bennett Seloyi and Musawenkosi Mnisi.
“The plan was to go hard from the start, try maintain the pace and keep the lead,” said Mphahlele, his smile still sharp with adrenaline.
“Musawenkosi Mnisi showed up. He caught me on those up-hills. I saw that he was reluctant to make a move. I just wanted to keep him at bay because he looked strong. I was quite surprised when he fell off the back. He was the toughest challenge today and of course Bennett Seloyi at the end. I had to sprint because he was coming in strong.”
His win wasn’t just about medals and seconds, it was about belonging to a community that runs on shared passion.
“The Boxer Super Run is fun,” he added.
“I’m glad they have the social runners’ event too, to get the community more involved. It’s not just about the elite athletes, the social running group is a big part of the sport. It feels good to claim gold today. I’ll be back next year. Thank you to Boxer and Boxer Athletics Club for organising this amazing meeting.”
Xaba’s triple debut
Xaba, the reigning queen of South African road running struck gold again, dominating from the gun to cross the line in 16:14, claiming her third consecutive debut victory at a Boxer Super Run: Durban (2023), Tshwane (2024), and now Joburg (2025).
“The race was tough,” admitted Xaba. “From 2km to 4km, it was really challenging. Only at the 4km mark did we start to go downhill. I’m glad I was able to run a good time on such a tough course.
“My race plan was to go out hard from the start. Everyone I compete against is strong and fast. I also have speed, but my strategy today was to test my preparation for the Valencia Marathon.
“If I can run this time on a tough, high-altitude course, it shows that I’m in good shape.”
For Xaba, success isn’t just about outpacing rivals, but it’s about outrunning yesterday’s version of herself.
“I’m proud to claim gold today and it shows that my hard work is paying off. One of my goals was to win all the races in the different cities, Durban, Tshwane, and Joburg, and I’ve achieved that.
“I’m very happy. Thank you, Boxer. This is my home, and I’ll definitely be back next year!”
A festival of feet and heartbeats
The five start waves, Open, Elite Men, Elite Women, Super Social, and Kids, reated a festival atmosphere where every runner, from rookie to record-chaser, found their lane.
“The debut of the Boxer Super Run in Johannesburg was an incredible success,” said Michael Meyer, Managing Director of Stillwater Sports.
“Congratulations to Ryan Mphahlele and Glenrose Xaba for your stellar performances in the Elite Men’s and Elite Women’s Waves. You truly set the pace and spirit for what this event represents. A heartfelt thank you to the thousands of runners who joined us and helped make the first-ever Boxer Super Run Joburg such a memorable occasion.”
Lee-Ann Pillay, Head of Marketing at Boxer Superstores, echoed the celebration:
“We are incredibly proud to have brought the spirit of the Boxer Super Run to Johannesburg for the very first time in 2025,” she said.
“This event perfectly reflects what the Boxer brand stands for community, energy, and the celebration of health and togetherness. A huge congratulations to our elite winners, Ryan and Glenrose, and to every runner who joined us. The energy in Joburg was electric. We can’t wait to build on this momentum in the years ahead!”
Running together, racing forward
With a combined prize purse of R147 200, an electric crowd, and a spirit as contagious as a runner’s high, the Boxer Super Run Joburg was a resounding success.
TOP 10 RESULTS: ELITE WAVES
Elite Men
1 Ryan Mphahlele 14:20, 2 Bennett Seloyi 14:22, 3 Musawenkosi Mnisi 14:30, 4 Zenzile Pheko 14:39, 5 Chris Mhlanga 14:44, 6 Abednico Choba 14:49, 7 Elroy Gelant 15:01, 8 Keanu Domingo 15:09, 9 Precious Mashele 15:11, 10 Erick Ngeno 15:15
Elite Women
1 Glenrose Xaba 16:14, 2 Neheng Khatala 16:31, 3 Karabo More 16:47, 4 Karabo Mailula 17:31, 5 Cian Oldknow 17:42, 6 Florence Nyaingiri 17:51, 7 Carina Swiegers 18:05, 8 Rutendo Nyahora 18:06, 9 Lilly Hutamo 18:35, 10 Zanthe Taljaard 18:38