Following the best season of his career, which included his first sub-28-minute 10km at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY CAPE TOWN 10K in May and a third Olympic appearance in August, Elroy Gelant now has his sights set on making history at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY JOBURG 10K on National Heritage Day, Tuesday, 24 September 2024.
Lining up for one of Joburg’s most iconic races on National Heritage Day, the reigning SA Marathon and Half Marathon Champion is poised to make history as the first athlete to secure five consecutive top ten finishes in the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series within a single calendar year.
The Boxer Athletics Club top runner has already celebrated two runner-up finishes in Gqeberha (April) and Cape Town (May), a victory in Durban (July), and a fourth-place finish at last month’s Absa RUN YOUR CITY TSHWANE 10K.
Despite a demanding year that included three marathons and a blistering 27:47 personal best at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K, the 37-year-old remains confident, claiming he still feels fresh.
This will undoubtedly leave his competitors wondering just how fast he’ll push the pace on Heritage Day.
“My body is feeling okay. I always look back at my structure which includes a very good base. My foundation is quite good.
“It almost feels like I can race weekend after weekend because of the structure that we implemented with coach Jean. I’m in a good space. I’m positive and that influences the body a lot. I’m looking forward to it,” says Gelant.
Lining up alongside Gelant in the City of Gold will be Kenya’s Gideon Kipngetich, who made a strong impression during his South African debut with a second-place finish at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY TSHWANE 10K, having led for nearly 9km of the race.
This time, Kipngetich is determined to claim the top spot on the podium.
“I enjoyed my time in South Africa,” confirms Kipngetich. “I almost won the race, but being my first race in SA, I wasn’t sure of the competition and how hard to push. The athletes really challenged me, especially the winner. I recovered well and resumed training two days after I got back from South Africa, and I have improved a bit. I plan to perform better at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY JOBURG 10K.”
