By: Lonwabo Mtyeku | Photo Credit: Richard Pearce
Seen Here: (from left to right): Melikhaya Frans (South Africa), Stephen Mokoka (South Africa), Adriaan Wildschutt (South Africa), Kamohelo Mofolo (Lesotho), Glenrose Xaba (South Africa), Neheng Khatala (Lesotho), Brenda Jepchirchir (Kenya) and Faith Cherono (Kenya). Photo Credit: Richard Pearce
All eyes will be on Beach Road this Sunday as Olympic finalist Adriaan Wildschutt returns to the Eastern Cape with one goal: to make history at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY GQEBERHA 10K.
After shattering the South African 10km record with a blistering 27:28 on this course in 2025, Wildschutt is back in “The Bay” with unfinished business. The 27-year-old is targeting Maxime Chaumeton’s national mark of 26:55 — and more significantly, aiming to become the first athlete to run a sub-27-minute 10km on African soil.
Speaking ahead of Sunday’s race (1 March 2026), Wildschutt expressed confidence in both his preparation and the course.
The US-based athlete, who has been training in Potchefstroom following a 13th-place finish at the World Cross Country Championships in Florida earlier this year, described the Gqeberha race as a world-class event on a genuinely fast route — ideal conditions for a historic attempt.
Seen Here: (from left to right): Adriaan Wildschutt (South Africa), Glenrose Xaba (South Africa), Neheng Khatala (Lesotho), Brenda Jepchirchir (Kenya), Faith Cherono (Kenya) and Kamohelo Mofolo (Lesotho). PHOTO CREDIT: Richard Pearce
World-Class Rivalry Sets the Stage
Yet, if Wildschutt is to dip under 27 minutes, he will have to earn it.
Kenya’s Isaac Kibet Ndiema — who boasts a lifetime best of 26:55 — brings precisely the calibre of competition required to drive record-breaking pace. Wildschutt has openly acknowledged that elite competition, accurate pacing and favourable weather are essential ingredients for achieving such a milestone.
A sub-27 performance would rank among the finest achievements of Wildschutt’s career, second only to his tenth-place finish in the 10 000m final at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Event organisers believe the stage is perfectly set.
Michael Meyer, Managing Director of Stillwater Sports and founder of the series, says the return of athletes intent on chasing barriers underlines the growing stature of the event and its reputation as one of the fastest 10km courses in Africa.
Seen Here: (from left to right): Michael Meyer (Managing Director of Stillwater Sports and Series Founder, Mike Mbambani (EPA Race Director), Shane Agnew (Absa Group Regional Manager Eastern Cape Region) and Selby Thabethe (EPA President). PHOTO CREDIT: Richard Pearcee
Women’s Race Poised for Continental Record
The women’s field promises equal drama — and potentially another historic breakthrough.
Kenya’s Brenda Jepchirchir arrives as the 10km world leader after clocking a personal best 29:25 to win the Valencia 10K in January. She now has her sights set on becoming the first woman to break 30 minutes for 10km on African soil.
Her challenge will come from a formidable field that includes fellow Kenyan Faith Cherono, South African 10km record holder Glenrose Xaba, and Lesotho national record holder Neheng Khatala — widely regarded as the strongest women’s 10km field ever assembled in South Africa.
Jepchirchir has made her intentions clear: she wants both a personal best and the fastest time ever recorded on the continent.
A Series Built for Big Performances
Sunday’s race marks the opening leg of the 2026 Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series, which includes five major city events:
- 1 March – Gqeberha
- 10 May – Cape Town
- 12 July – Durban
- 23 August – Tshwane
- 24 September – Johannesburg
The series boasts a combined prize purse of R1 686 000, alongside performance incentives designed to reward South African athletes for exceptional achievements.
Absa Regional Manager for the Eastern Cape, Shane Agnew, highlighted the strong sense of anticipation building ahead of race day, noting that events of this scale create connection, belonging and shared achievement across communities.
Fast Course, Big Stakes
The 2026 Gqeberha edition will start and finish on Beach Road in Humewood at 07:00 on Sunday morning. With deep elite fields, proven course speed and ideal coastal conditions, the ingredients are firmly in place for something extraordinary.
Whether it is Wildschutt breaking the 27-minute barrier or Jepchirchir rewriting the women’s benchmark, the 2026 Absa RUN YOUR CITY GQEBERHA 10K could deliver one of the most significant performances ever witnessed on African roads.
On Sunday, history will not simply be chased — it may well be rewritten.
