'I think he will thrive' - Swanepoel welcomes Seloyi to Boxer AC
As they continue to build the most formidable 10km team in South Africa, the Boxer Athletic Club have announced the acquisition of yet another promising 10km and half marathon athlete. Waterfall City Athletics Club and 2023 Athletics South Africa (ASA) 10km champion Bennet Seloyi has put pen to paper on his first professional contract. Boxer national manager Rhyn Swanepoel says he has had his eye on the 24-year-old for some time now.
"I remember the SA 10km Championships last year. I was there, and without being arrogant, I expected that Kabelo Mulaudzi would be crowned as the ASA 10km champ. But then we had Mathews Leeto who won it and he was followed home by this young man. As you know Leeto was disqualified and this young man was then elevated to the gold medal," he explained.
Swanepoel believes that for a man who finished as the first South African (21st) at the 2024 World Cross Country Championships in Serbia, Seloyi’s modest 10km personal best of 30:16 run on the hilly Absa RUN YOUR CITY TSHWANE 10K course at altitude is due for revision - especially if given to run the opportunity to run fast coastal races like the Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN or GQEBERHA 10K which produced a number of 27 minute clockings for Boxer athletes such as Elroy Gelant, Precious Mashele and Kabelo Mulaudzi. Swanepoel says because Boxer can support the Thembisa-based runner to travel to these races in the company of other 28-minute 10km runners like Chris Mhlanga, he expects Seloyi to improve significantly now that he will be running in red.
"Currently in the Boxer Athletic Club we have three sub 28 minute 10km runners. We have Elroy Gelant, Precious Mashele and Kabelo Mulaudzi. I honestly see Bennet alongside someone like Chris Mhlanga and Andries Sesedi will not be far off that. So if we could add another three sub 28 athletes it would be great. I think he (Seloyi) will thrive and I’m looking forward to great results from him.”
The move comes at precisely the right time for the man who is coached by former top runner Best Ngwenya. After a breakthrough 2024 season which saw him take fifth position in a top class race at the Thembisa Mile 10km (30:34), win the 10km race at the African Bank Soweto Marathon (30:21) and achieve an impressive lifetime best 2:17:11 for 16th place at the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon, Seloyi feels that he is ready to join a club where he can benefit from running alongside some of the country’s finest 10km, 21km and marathon athletes.
"In 2025, I want to improve my PB's and finish in the top ten in every single race in which I take part," he told #TheTopRunner. "What excites me is running with the top runners. It inspires me a lot. I really enjoy it. I want to be with the likes of Precious Mashele. I've only started to experience that now and I want more of it next year. I want to be at their level. I even want a top five in Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series. I haven't achieved it yet, but I want it!"
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