Felix Masai Kibet is chasing a personal best, Kabelo Mulaudzi is hunting another scalp, and Glenrose Xaba has a record within striking distance as Bloemfontein prepares to welcome the inaugural Absa RUN YOUR CITY MANGAUNG 10K on Sunday.
The Free State capital could witness a blistering battle for supremacy if the anticipated fast course delivers the perfect launchpad for South Africa’s leading road-running stars and their Kenyan challenger.
Kenya’s Masai, who boasts a 27:19 personal best and led a Kenyan podium sweep at the Totalsports TWO OCEANS HALF MARATHON in April, has made his intentions crystal clear.
“I want to run a PB on Sunday,” said Masai at Friday’s official press conference, attended by four-time Olympian Stephen Mokoka and Mulaudzi.
His target puts the stopwatch firmly in the spotlight. Yet Mangaung’s inaugural crown will have to be earned the hard way.
Mulaudzi, a serial winner in the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series, has other ideas. The South African is pursuing an eighth series victory after two wins in 2023, four last year and his triumph at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY JOBURG 10K last month.
His 27:41 personal best, recorded en route to winning the 2025 Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K, underlines his credentials.
“I’m feeling very good and I’m ready for Sunday. The competition is tough, but I will try my best. The field will have to work hard to win,” said Mulaudzi.
Those are fighting words from a runner who knows how to turn the final kilometres into a battlefield. Masai brings Kenyan firepower; Mulaudzi brings local knowledge and a proven winning instinct. The finishing straight could settle a compelling argument.
Xaba has a record in her sights
The women’s race carries its own stopwatch drama, with Xaba arriving in red-hot form after winning the Boxer Super Run 5K in Durban on 18 October and becoming the first athlete to claim four SPAR Women’s Grand Prix Series titles.
Her 31:16 at the SPAR Women’s Challenge in Gqeberha last month left her four seconds short of her 31:12 personal best. A flat, fast Mangaung route could provide the missing ingredients for a breakthrough.
“I heard the course is flat and fast, and I’m looking forward to giving my best as I always do. I’m in good form and hoping to have a great race. I came close to my PB in Gqeberha, so I would be happy to set a new PB on Sunday,” said Xaba.
Lesotho’s Neheng Khatala will also arrive with momentum after winning the Hollywoodbets Joburg 10K on 18 October. The in-form runner has her sights set on improving her national record of 32:01, adding another layer of intrigue to an elite women’s contest that promises to stretch the pace.
Mangaung’s big road-running test
For the organisers, the inaugural event represents an opportunity to establish Bloemfontein as another major stop on South Africa’s elite road-running circuit. For the athletes, it is a chance to turn preparation into performance over 10 kilometres of relentless racing.
Fast courses invite fast times, but reputations count for little once the gun fires. Masai wants a PB, Mulaudzi wants another victory, and Xaba has unfinished business with the clock.
On Sunday, Mangaung gets its first taste of the series. The road is laid, the contenders are primed, and the stopwatch is waiting.
