There are 50 000 reasons Boxer Athletic Club stars Precious Mashele and Glenrose Xaba will be running their hearts out to retain their national 10km records during this year’s Absa RUN YOUR CITY 10K series.

That is the amount, in rands, that runners who dip below Mashele’s 27:35 and Xaba’s 31:12 marks, stand to swell their bank balances by.

Series organisers Stillwater Sports have announced the incentives for this year’s campaign of the popular five-city event, and the R50 000 will be awarded to the runners who break either record. Should there be more than one runner who dips below those marks in any of the five events, the money will be awarded to the one with the fastest time.

Glenrose Xaba claims gold at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY TSHWANE 10K in 2024. | Tobias Ginsberg

There are more reasons for South African runners to go for fast times, with Stillwater also unveiling an unprecedented, “SA Athlete Prize Incentive Schedule” for 2025. The incentive schedule applies to all five races and offers bonuses for exceptional performances.

In the men’s category, bonuses will start for times faster than 28 minutes, with a substantial R200 000 bonus for breaking the 27-minute barrier. For women, bonuses begin for times faster than 32:08 minutes, with an impressive R200 000 incentive for breaking the 30:23 mark.

“We firmly believe that an impressive prize purse not only rewards hard work but also inspires athletes to push boundaries,” said Michael Meyer, the Managing Director of Stillwater Sport and Series Founder.

“We are proud to announce a combined prize purse of R1 610 000 in 2025. Each of the five events will feature a total prize allocation of R322 000. Of this, R252 000 will be dedicated to the Open Category, with R126 000 awarded to the Top 10 Open Men and R126 000 to the Top 10 Open Women.

The top male and female finishers in each city will receive R30 000 each, with R25 000 going to second-place finishers and R20,000 to third-place finishers.”

In a sport not renowned for being cash flush, the Absa RYC Series has been a game changer for athletes who stand to receive a windfall their talents duly deserve. The Series kicks off in April with the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Gqeberha 10K, at which Mashele set that splendid national record. T

here’s a huge possibility it could be rewritten on April 13, with US-based Olympian and multiple SA track record holder Adrian Wildschutt having already declared his intentions of adding the 10km road record to his collection. He likes the idea of the added incentives on top of the sizeable prize money at stake in the Series.

lroy Gelant claims gold at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K in 2024. | Anthony Grote

“The incentives are a fantastic way to motivate athletes,” Wildschutt chimed.

“Just like when I was starting out, these kinds of incentives provide crucial financial support, enabling athletes to prepare and travel for races and training. Unlike many other road races in South Africa, the Absa RUN YOUR CITY SERIES offers a broader range of incentives, which, in my opinion, sets it apart from the rest.”

Xaba concurred: “The incentives are very important to me because they’re directly linked to performance times.

“These incentives motivate me to stay at the top because the rewards are tangible. Breaking my own record would be a dream come true — I’d be the happiest woman alive.”

The monthly series starts in Gqeberha, then moves to Cape Town on May 11 before a June break due to the Comrades Marathon. It then resumes with Durban on July 13, Tshwane on August 24, and Johannesburg bringing the curtain down on Heritage Day—September 24.

“Our objective is to empower South Africa's elite athletes to build successful careers without needing to compete abroad. We are confident that these incentives will attract the country’s top talent and inspire spectacular performances across all five events in 2025,” said Meyer.