Totalsports TWO OCEANS Ultra Marathon champion ready to test himself against South Africa’s best on a fast Free State course
Seen Here: 2026 Totalsports TWO OCEANS ULTRA MARATHON Champion Arthur Jantjies is excited about the inaugural Absa RUN YOUR CITY MANGAUNG 10K, which will take place on Sunday, 25 October 2026, saying it will breathe new life into the sport of athletics in South Africa’s heartland by empowering and inspiring the next generation of top runners. Seen here: Arthur Jantjies in action. Photo Credit: Action Photo
BLOEMFONTEIN, 2 September 2026 — Arthur Jantjies is ready to trade ultra-marathon endurance for 10km speed when he lines up at the inaugural Absa RUN YOUR CITY MANGAUNG 10K on Sunday, 25 October, with the 26-year-old confident he can break into the top 10.
For Jantjies, however, the significance of the new race extends well beyond his own ambitions.
The 2026 Totalsports TWO OCEANS ULTRA MARATHON champion believes bringing a high-profile road race to Mangaung will provide a valuable platform for athletes from the Free State and Northern Cape, giving young runners the opportunity to compete alongside some of the country’s leading performers.
“This is big for the Free State and the Northern Cape because we will be able to run against the best and share knowledge,” said Jantjies.
The inaugural Mangaung 10K represents another expansion of the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series, with the event bringing the high-energy road-running experience to South Africa’s heartland.
For Jantjies, who grew up in Hopetown in the Northern Cape, approximately 120km from Kimberley, the event has particular personal significance.
From ultra-marathon champion to 10km contender
Jantjies enters the race carrying considerable momentum.
In April, he produced the biggest victory of his career by winning the Totalsports TWO OCEANS ULTRA MARATHON in 3:09:25, defeating, among others, 2024 champion Onalenna Khonkhobe.
The breakthrough came after Jantjies began working with legendary ultra-marathon coach John Hamlett at the start of the season.
Under Hamlett’s guidance, Jantjies has also made significant progress over the shorter distance.
His 10km personal best improved to 29:19 in May, before he clocked 29:32 at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K on 12 July.
That progression has given the Pan African Resources elite athlete confidence that he can make an impact when the Series arrives in Mangaung.
“I cannot be counted out of a top-10 finish,” Jantjies said.
His optimism is also fuelled by the characteristics of the Bloemfontein course.
“We have a flat course and dry air, so everything is nice here,” he added.
The combination could provide an ideal platform for fast racing, particularly for an athlete whose endurance base has been strengthened through ultra-marathon preparation.
A race with a bigger purpose
While Jantjies will be chasing his own competitive goals, he sees the Mangaung 10K as an opportunity that could have a lasting impact on athletics in the region.
The Free State and Northern Cape have produced talented runners over the years, but the presence of a major national road-running event provides local athletes with an opportunity to test themselves against elite competition without having to travel to the country’s traditional running centres.
For aspiring young athletes, the value of being exposed to top-level runners can extend beyond race results.
It can provide insight into training, preparation, race tactics and the realities of competing at a higher level.
Jantjies believes that simply sharing a start line with some of South Africa’s finest runners can help inspire the next generation.
His own trajectory — from a Northern Cape running community to becoming a national ultra-marathon champion — offers a powerful example of what can happen when talent is matched with opportunity and development.
Michael Meyer, Managing Director of Stillwater Sports and Series Founder, said Jantjies’ participation was particularly fitting for the inaugural event.
“Arthur is a fantastic addition to the inaugural Absa RUN YOUR CITY MANGAUNG 10K, and his journey from the Free State and Northern Cape running community to becoming a Totalsports TWO OCEANS ULTRA MARATHON champion is hugely inspiring,” said Meyer.
He said the Mangaung race was about more than adding another event to the road-running calendar.
“Bringing the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series to Mangaung is about more than adding another race to the calendar; it’s about creating opportunities for local runners to compete alongside some of South Africa’s best and showing the next generation what is possible.”
A new chapter for the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series
The Mangaung 10K will become the sixth event on the 2026 Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series calendar.
The season began in Gqeberha on 1 March, where South Africa’s Adriaan Wildschutt won the men’s race in 27:47, while Kenya’s Brenda Jepchirchir claimed the women’s title in 30:15.
The Cape Town 10K, scheduled for 10 May, was cancelled due to a severe weather forecast before the Series resumed in Durban on 12 July.
Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei won the men’s race in Durban in 27:19, while Kenya’s Doreen Cherop took the women’s title in 30:43.
Cherop subsequently added the Tshwane title to her record, winning in 31:35 on 23 August, while Kenya’s Salem Kibet triumphed in the men’s race in 28:45.
The Series then heads to Johannesburg on 24 September before reaching its conclusion in Mangaung a month later.
For the Free State, the arrival of the Series represents an opportunity to put the region firmly into the national road-running spotlight.
What runners can expect in Mangaung
The inaugural Absa RUN YOUR CITY MANGAUNG 10K will start at 07:00 on Sunday, 25 October, from the Sir George Grey Street exit of Grey College.
The 10km route will finish on Kings Way in Bloemfontein, with participants receiving a race-day experience that includes a performance T-shirt, Absa drawstring bag, Peak cap, socks, race number and timing chip, as well as a finisher’s medal.
Runners will also have access to sponsor activations, route entertainment points, three refreshment stations, a tog bag drop-and-collect service and post-event entertainment.
Entries opened on 1 August and close on Thursday, 8 October, or earlier if the event reaches capacity.
The entry fee is R255 for licensed runners, while a temporary licence costs R70.
For Jantjies, though, the focus will ultimately be on the road.
His rise over the past year has demonstrated his ability to combine endurance with increasing speed. Now, on a flat Mangaung course and in front of a new audience, he has the opportunity to measure his progress against a strong field.
A top-10 finish would represent another significant step in his development.
But regardless of where he crosses the line, Jantjies’ presence at the inaugural race carries a bigger message — that elite running can emerge from communities far from the country’s traditional centres of athletics, provided young athletes are given opportunities to see, compete against and learn from the best.
And on 25 October, Mangaung will provide exactly that opportunity.
Event: Absa RUN YOUR CITY MANGAUNG 10K
Date: Sunday, 25 October 2026
Start: 07:00
Start: Sir George Grey Street exit of Grey College, Bloemfontein
Finish: Kings Way, Bloemfontein
Entry: R255 licensed runner | R70 temporary licence
Entries close: Thursday, 8 October 2026, or once capacity is reached
For more information, visit Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series.
