Kayla Jacobs looks to World 5 km Champs ahead of National 5km Champs in Nasrec

After setting new personal bests over One Mile, 3000m, 5000m and 5km this year, Kyla Jacobs is in the form of her life. The 28-year-old enjoyed a magical week in April when she took part in the Cape Milers/Endurocad Invitational Meets and ran 4:39.67 over the mile, 9:01.54 over 3000m in a great race against eventual winner Carina Viljoen and then defeated Glenrose Xaba on the way to a new lifetime best 15:20.61 5000m clocking. She says those fast times were reward for all of her hard work.

"I'm very excited and I'm very happy," she told #TheTopRunner after that fabulous set of performances at the Greenpoint Stadium in April. "A lot of consistent training and hard work is starting to payoff. When they host events like this where it's the perfect temperature and it's well organised and getting in a field with a lot of South Africa's best runners it really sets you up for success."

Jacobs in an epic duel against Glenrose Xaba during the Cape Milers/Endurocad Invitaional in April. Photo Credit: Gallo Images.

The Murray & Roberts Running Club top runner used those results to enter a few European races where she delivered some solid runs. First Jacobs raced 5000m at the Lang Laufnacht, Carl-Kaufmann-Stadion in Germany where she finished in twelfth place in 15:42.78. A week later, she went on to set a new mark for 5km on the road when she won the Nacht von Hasbergen 5km race in 16:21.

The reigning SA Senior 5000m champion who also represented the country at the World cross Country Championships in Australia in February, says all of this has been part of her preparation to earn selection to the South African team that will contest the first ever 5km road running championships which take place in the Latvian city of Riga in September.

Jacobs has represented South Africa before and is looking to do so again at the inaugural World 5km Championships. Photo Credit: Supplied.

"I'm excited to get on the road and run some races in Europe in preparation for the World 5km. It's definitely a goal of mine to make that team, so that will be my focus," said the woman who finished in seventh place in the 5000m at the 2022 African Championships.

South Africa's representatives to run at the new competition in Latvia will be chosen at the inaugural National 5km Championships in Nasrec, Johannesburg on Saturday 17 June. The race is open to all runners, not just elite athletes. Enter Now by clicking on the following link: onreg.com/sa5champs23