Following a successful Hollywoodbets Durban 10km race in September, the Gauteng edition of the race is set to make its debut on Saturday. This is one of the fastest-growing races in South Africa, and we can’t wait to paint the streets of Johannesburg Purple. Thathe Msimango looks ahead to the Women’s race.
Neheng Khatala
Neheng Khatala will want to build on her sensational Soweto Marathon victory with a solid showing in the Hollywoodbets Joburg 10km. And she’ll be reasonably confident after wining the Durban leg in a time of 32:25 in far from ideal conditions.
Khatala is one of the most consistent performers in the shorter distances. The 32-year-old holds the Lesotho National Record in the 10km, with a personal best of 32:01. With the versatility she has shown the recent years over longer and shorter distances, she remains one of the biggest threats in the race.
Our 42km #AfricanBankSowetoMarathon female winner is Neheng Khatala.
— African Bank (@AfricanBank) November 3, 2024
Well done on completing #ThePeoplesRace 🥇 #ABSM24 #ABSM2024 pic.twitter.com/I3vsCJSJ5v
Cacisile Sosibo
In recent years, Cacisile Sosibo has delivered eye-catching performances over both 10km and half marathon distances. There is no doubt her future looks bright. Under the guidance of the legendary coach Michael Seme, she has proven to be a real contender.
She claimed second place in the Durban leg of the race in 32:48, where she missed her personal best time by 21 seconds. The 28-year-old who runs in the colours of Boxer Athletics Club will want to upgrade her placing. Having ranked inside top five in the recently concluded Spar Grand Prix Series, Sosibo will be out to prove her performance wasn’t a fluke.
Tayla Kavanagh
After recovering from an injury earlier this year which sidelined her for months, Tayla Kavanagh is starting to find her form. As much was evident when she managed to pick a huge victory with Cape Town Peace Run last month. Now Kavanagh will shift her focus to ending the year on a high note.
The 23-year-old claimed seventh spot finish in the Hollywoodbets Durban 10km and will no doubt be looking for a better finish in Gauteng. Don’t count her out from delivering on the race day.
The #PeaceRun 10km got the @sanlam @CTMarathon weekend off to a fast start as Deon-Lee Hendricks and Tayla Kavanagh blitzed the course, despite windy conditions, on their way to victories. Read the story here: https://t.co/fEseXpIkHQ pic.twitter.com/qOb9KYoPrS
— Diverge (@Diverge_info) October 19, 2024
Blandina Makatisi
Things have been falling into place Blandina Makatisi this year. Despite being selected to represent Lesotho in the Marathon distance at the Olympic Games, she came close to breaking the 10km national record earlier this year.
The 29-year-old who runs for Maxed Elite Running Club has a wonderful personal best of 32:05 over the distance. After coming third in the Durban leg of the race, she will be determined to make things count and upgrade her positioning. There are plenty of other fierce competitors in this race, but you simply can’t rule her out of the running come Saturday morning.
