By Adnaan Mohamed
The road to greatness in South African distance running just got smoother, and significantly richer. The Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series has fired the starter’s gun on its 2026 campaign by unveiling a R1.686 million combined prize purse, paired with one of the most aggressive SA athlete incentive structures ever seen on local roads.
Since its inception in 2015, the series has re-engineered the domestic road-running ecosystem, transforming 10km racing from a supporting act into the main event. In 2026, the five-city circuit once again strings together Gqeberha (March), Cape Town (May), Durban (July), Tshwane (August) and Johannesburg (September). The 10km specialists have five fast courses, five chances to chase both time and fortune.

“Offering an impressive prize purse is extremely important to us and we are proud to once again be able to do so at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series in 2026,” says Michael Meyer, Managing Director of Stillwater Sports.
“We believe that a strong prize purse does more than reward dedication and loyalty towards the series – it fuels ambition and inspires athletes to chase extraordinary performances. That is why we are proud to continue growing our prize purse each year with 2026 featuring a combined prize purse of R1 686 000.00.”
Built for Speed and Sustainability
Each race carries a R337 200 prize allocation, with R267 200 reserved for the Open Category. The top 10 men and women split R133 600 each, while winners in every city bank R33 000, with R24 000 for second and R21 000 for third.
Depth and longevity are equally rewarded.
“In addition, R70 000.00 per event has been allocated to Age Categories, rewarding the top three finishers in the Junior, 40–49, 50–59, 60–69 and 70+ age groups – ensuring excellence is celebrated across generations.”
Incentives that Reward the Stopwatch
If the prize purse is the foundation, the SA Athlete Incentive Schedule is the accelerant.
Elite men unlock bonuses for times under 28 minutes, with a headline-grabbing R300 000 incentive for smashing the 27:00 barrier, plus R50 000 for a new SA record. Elite women are similarly rewarded, with bonuses starting at 32:08, escalating to R300 000 for breaking 30:20, and an additional R50 000 for a national record.
Consistency, often the missing ingredient in elite development, is also rewarded:
- Elite Men: R20 000 for two sub-28s; R30 000 for three
- Elite Women: R20 000 for two sub-32:08s; R30 000 for three
“In 2025, we paid out an impressive total of R1.9 million in Prize Money and SA Athlete Incentives,” Meyer adds.
“Building on this momentum, our focus for 2026 is to reward exceptional performances even further and elevate the level of competition in South African middle-distance running. By empowering our elite athletes to build successful careers at home, we’re confident these incentives will attract the country’s top talent and deliver spectacular racing across all five events.”
Wildschutt Eyes African History
Fresh off a 2025 campaign that saw him erase four national records, Olympian Adriaan Wildschutt returns to the series opener in Gqeberha on 1 March with history in his sights — a sub-27-minute 10km on African soil.
“The Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series has been a huge help in providing opportunities for us to run fast and compete against high-quality athletes,” says Wildschutt.
“The incentives they provide also motivate us to prepare well for these races, which further enhances the competition.”
A Platform for Pure 10km Racing

For Kabelo Mulaudzi, three-time SA cross-country champion and six-time series winner, the value of the circuit goes beyond prize money.
“As an athlete who specialises in shorter distances, the Series allows me to focus purely on 10km racing without having to step up to half marathons or marathons just to earn decent prize money,” he explains.
“For a long time in South Africa, there were very few opportunities for sub-marathon athletes to make a sustainable income, so the prize money on offer in this Series is a game-changer.”
Mulaudzi adds:
“The time-based incentive structure really encourages fast and consistent performances… I strongly believe athletes should be rewarded for fast performances rather than appearance money, and I’m excited to test myself against some of the best athletes from Southern and East Africa in the Series.”
In 2026, the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series is setting the pace for what elite road running in South Africa can become.
2026 Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series Dates
- 01 March: Gqeberha 10K
- 10 May: Cape Town 10K
- 12 July: Durban 10K
- 23 August: Tshwane 10K
- 24 September: Joburg 10K
www.runyourcityseries.com
WhatsApp: 072 042 7613
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