The final of the Run Your City series culminates in Johannesburg this Sunday after 5 editions which has seen some of the quickest ever times run in South Africa including national records, and the Nedbank running club will have a host of green dream team athletes in action, including the very strong ultra contingent who will be stepping a long way down in distance to mix it with the speed merchants.
Leading the green dream team on Sunday will be Namakhoe Nkhasi from the Nedbank running club Lesotho. A former winner of Run Your City events, Nkhasi is a speed merchant who last year set a Lesotho national record at the Run Your Coty Durban 10km in a world class time of 27:52. After an injury plagued 2023, Nkhasi is starting to show his true form and will be one to look out for on Sunday. “My training has been going well with the group in Pretoria that I train with, and we are looking forward to run on Sunday,” said Nkhasi. “Because we are running in Johannesburg and the hills, it will not be a fast race and maybe more tactical, but you still need to have your speed because it will be fast at the end.”
2023 South African champion over 10 000m Andries Sesedi will also be looking to make a name for himself in the series finale on Sunday. The day after he won his national title on the track, Sesedi ran his 10km personal best on the road at the Run Your City Gqeberha event running 28:29. Joel Mmone and David Manja will also be looking for a podium finish and the speeders who hail from Klerksdorp will most certainly be up there. The elite field has been depleted due to many of South Africa’s best speedsters sitting this one out as they will represent South Africa next week at the World Road running championships, but in their absence, a host of ultra marathon distance stars will be looking to step up and steal some of the glory.
Although more suited over the ultras where he has now back-to-back won the last two Comrades Marathon’s, Tete Dijane is a man on a mission and with a 29:57 10km personal best set last year, cannot be discounted from a good showing. Preparping for a very fast marathon next month, Dijane is in good shape and has the racing pedigree to show up on the day. His teammates Edward Mothibi, Dan Matshailwe, Johannes Makgetla and Reuben Mosiane will join Dijane. Mothibi is a former Comrades winner himself and in training for a fast marathon next month where he hopes to break his 2:13 marathon pb and Matshailwe boasts a 2:14 marathon pb and finished 2nd at this year’s Two Oceans Marathon.
After a 2nd place in this year’s Comrades Marathon and breaking 6 hours, Adele Broodryk will step down in distance and aim to get some serious speedwork in together with green dream team athletes Galaletseng Mekgoe and Stella Marais. The duo, together with Matshailwe are in the South African team for the upcoming World 50km championships which will take place in India on 5 November and will be using the event as part of their preparation for the race. Nedbank running club Ethiopian sensation Selam Gebre will be up front hoping for a top podium position. Finishing 2nd in this year’s Spar Ladies 10km Grand Prix series, Gebre is a young athlete who has just reach the senior ranks but possesses very good speed and will be looking for a good showing on Sunday.
You can catch the Nedbank running club green dream team live in action on Sunday morning with the Run Your City finale being broadcast on Supersport.