Lesotho national marathon holder Neheng Khathala has confirmed her participation in this weekend’s Absa Run Your City Cape Town10K thus spicing up the women’s race.

Fresh from running her second fastest marathon time late last month when she finished 10th at the Hamburg Marathon with an impressive 2:28:37, Khthala will be up against her compatriot Blandina Makatisi who finished runner-up in the season-opening race of the popular Series in Gqeberha early last month.

Reflecting on her run in the German city, Khathala said she could have clocked a quicker time were the latter stages of the race not as difficult as they were.

“The second half of the race (refering to the Hamburg Marathon) was tough with a few small hills all the way to the finish. So that’s where I struggled. But I was well looked after and made it to the finish,” the Hollywoodbets Athletics Club athlete said.

‘See how the body responds’

She has been recuperating well since and she is looking forward to the sprint in the Mother City on Mother’s Day: “For recovery, I’ve just been jogging and seeing the physio - the usual stuff, nothing much. For Cape Town, I’ll just see how the body feels on the day and then I’ll take it from there. I don’t have a pre-determined objective to run a certain time. I will just run according to how the body responds.”

Having run just 31 seconds outside of her national marathon record, bet on Khathala to be among those challenging for victory in Cape Town where she has good memories of her previous Run Your City races. She ran a personal best time of 32:06 in 2022 and last year she occupied the third step on the podium, a sign that she enjoys running in the Mother City.

But the athlete based in Potchefstroom will have to bring it all out if she is to deny Diana Chepkorir a second successive victory in this year’s series. The 22-year-old Kenyan who is one of only 17 women worldwide to have broken the 30 minutes for the 10km, won the Absa Run Your City Gqeberha 10K early in April and will definitely toe the start line on Sunday as the favourite.

"We're thrilled to have Neheng Khatala return to the Absa Run Your City Cape Town 10K in 2024," says Michael Meyer, Managing Director of Stillwater Sports and Series Founder.

"With Neheng and Diana Chepkorir both confirming their entries, we're seeing an exceptional level of talent that’s elevating the standard of women's racing in the series. Their participation not only adds to the competitive edge but also underscores the international appeal of the Absa Run Your City Series. We’re expecting an exciting race in the women's field and look forward to witnessing their outstanding performances.”

@Tshiliboy

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