Muluadzi and Xaba to start as favourites at Motsepe Foundation Race to Equality & SA 10km Champs

Boasting a handsome total prize purse of R560 000 across various categories and incorporating the Athletics South Africa (ASA) 10km Championships, the Motsepe Foundation Race to Equality has attracted some of the country's very best athletes who will lineup at Marks Park in Emmerentia on Sunday 10 March. The host province Central Gauteng Athletics has put together one of the strongest teams including the likes of Gladwin Mzazi, Kabelo Melamu, Chris Mhlanga and man of the moment Kabelo Mulaudzi.

After winning the cross country title last year, Mulaudziis in the running for the SA 10km road title. Photo Credit: Petrus Rademeyer Photography..

After producing his maiden sub 28 minute 10km clocking during a season that saw him win two Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series race, the SA Senior Men's 10km cross Country title and the Hollywoodbets Durban 10k, Mulaudzi will be the man to beat. But even after a magnificent 2023, the man from Alexandra Township who is coached by Richard Mayer says his aim on Sunday is simply to try and finish on the podium.

"Last year was the best season ever - in my life. I won the cross Country title after trying for a long time. I kept on coming second or third. So now I want the road title. I am looking forward to the Motsepe Foundation and ASA 10km Champs race. My fitness so far is going well, especially over the last two months where I have been training well and consistently. I know the course is hilly but I'll manage. I'll just focus on my own race," he shared.

In addition to working on her speed at the track, Glenrose Xaba also has the mileage in her legs. She won the very hilly Balwin Sport Pretoria Marathon 21km race on 25 February in 1:19:01 by over 5 minutes. Photo Credit: Action Photo.

And while the men's race will be more hotly contest with Mulaudzi starting as the favourite, the women's race is likely to be a two horse race between Glenrose Xaba and Cacisile Sosibo. Sosibo has developed rapidly over the last two years and enjoyed a good 2023 which saw her finish ahead of Xaba at the World Half Marathon Championships last October. But when it comes to 10km, SuperCharger is one of only three South Africans alongside Elana Meyer and Dominique Scott to have run under 32 minutes and she revealed to #TheTopRunner that she spent the early part of 2024 working to go even faster as she tries to qualify for the Olympic 5000m event in August.

"My training is going well. A few weeks ago you saw me running 800m and 1500m at an Athletics Gauteng North League Meeting. I surprised a lot of people by running 800m in 2:08 and 1500m in 4:20. My idea is to improve my fitness and be fast towards the end of the race because I saw that I usually struggle when it comes to the end of the race. So I decided to focus on speed and my training is going very well according to the plans that my coaches Violet (Raseboya) and Caster (Semenya) drafted this year," said the Boxer Athletics Club top runner.