Ugandan athlete and world record holder in the 5 000m and 10 000m Joshua Cheptegei made history as he sprinted to victory at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K this morning (July 12), crossing the finish line in a superb 27:19.

He delivered one of the finest 10km road performances ever witnessed on South African soil when he led more than 10 000 runners across the finish line. “The race was really good and I enjoyed running here in Durban,” said Cheptegei who was followed across the finish line by Kenya’s Salem Kibet (27:29) and his training partner Emmanuel Kibet (27:32).

Cheptegei took control of the race from the gun passing the halfway mark in 13:48 before surging away from the field to cross the finish line in the second-fastest time ever run in South Africa.

“I decided to be a bit more aggressive after 5km because I saw that we were not very fast and I wanted to run a fast time. Maybe next time we can have more pacemakers for the men to build the first half tempo a bit more so we can run the second half in a controlled way. For me to come and win is exciting and gives me motivation to move on to my next goal,” said Cheptegei.

Also Read: Elite runners chase history at Durban 10K

The women’s race also provided a stunning finish with Kenya’s Doreen Cherop claiming victory in a time of 30:43, improving on her lifetime best. She beat race favourite and fellow Kenyans Brenda Jepchirchir who finished in 30:52, and 3000m Steeplechase World Record holder Beatrice Chepkoech who took third place in 31:25.

Cherop said the win came as a welcome bonus because her main target was simply to finish in the top three. “The weather was great and the last five kilometres were very fast. I’m happy to win the race especially because my target was just to be on the podium,” said Cherop.

Also happy with the outcome of the Durban leg of the series was managing director of Stillwater Sports and series founder Michael Meyer who said the performance of the athletes was nothing short of inspiring.

“Equally inspiring was the incredible support from every runner who took to the streets today. Whether chasing a personal best, running for a cause or simply embracing the electric atmosphere, every participant played a part in making this event so special,” said Meyer.

He extended his gratitude to all the runners, partners, sponsors and the City of Durban for making the race possible and a success. “We are grateful to our title sponsor, Absa, our valued sponsors and partners, the City of Durban, volunteers, officials and spectators for making this unforgettable day possible.”

Jabulile Nsibanyoni, Head of Sponsorships at Absa, said they were proud to be part of the event. “Well done to all who participated in the Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K and joined Team Absa Walk Run on Strava. A huge congratulations to all the winners. It was inspiring to see so many people taking to the streets, with many different reasons for running, pushing themselves to achieve their individual goals,” said Nsibanyoni.

Gallery: Photos by Sibongiseni Maphumulo

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