Stephen Mokoka and Neheng Khatala will spearhead the Hollywood Athletics Club charge at the Absa RYC Series Durban 10km. Thathe Msimango previews the race.
Mokoka hunts World Masters Record
South African road running legend, Stephen Mokoka, will lead a strong Hollywood Athletics Club squad for the upcoming Absa RUN YOUR CITY Durban 10km race on Sunday, 13 July. Known for fast times and strong competition from locals and elite East African athletes, the Durban leg is expected to be a mouthwatering race, and Mokoka is one of the contenders to win the title.
This year, he has obtained a podium finish in Absa Cape Town, coming home in third place in a lightning-fast 28:06. Now, he is eyeing a World Masters record on the East Coast. His target is to better the 27:48 run by Bernard Lagat 10 years ago in the 2015 Great Manchester Run. On that day, Mokoka ran a previous South African national record with the remarkable 27:38.
The organisers have added spice to the challenge by throwing in an incentive of R100 000 if Mokoka breaks the record. Mokoka has an excellent pedigree in this race, having won it in 2019, a mere week after finishing fifth at the World Marathon Championships in Doha. Then he clocked 28:12. Last year, the 40-year-old dipped under 28 minutes for the first time on South African soil, clocking an impressive 27:56 to finish fifth overall in a star-studded field.
Alongside Mokoka is Reghen Magwai, targeting a run under 29 minutes for the first time this year. In the Gqeberha race, Magwai produced 29:08, finishing 11th overall, just missing out on the top 10. The 33-year-old has a lifetime best of 28:29 set in the 2021 edition of the Absa Durban race.
Adding to the men’s start list is Lindelani Mjwara – a Comrades Marathon sub-6 hours finisher and the evergreen Simphiwe Zulu.
Veteran runner Stephen Mokoka is chasing a Masters world record and a R100k bonus at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Durban 10K! He's ready to defy age! #Durban10K #MastersRecord #StephenMokokahttps://t.co/TagDAYE6Ry pic.twitter.com/8CADbPfxFi
— IOL Sport (@IOLsport) June 25, 2025
Khatala, Kavanagh and Nyahora line-up for the Ladies
In the women’s section, Neheng Khatala will spearhead the team. Last year, Khatala ran a personal best, clocking a scintillating 32:01 and went on to set a new Lesotho national record. She ended up finishing fifth overall against a field of world-class athletes. The 33-year-old has managed to go more than 20 seconds faster in this year’s Spar Women’s Grand Prix in June, clocking an impressive 32:31. The reigning Soweto Marathon Champion will be among the favourites to win the title. Joining Khatala in the hunt for a podium is Tayla Kavanagh.
Following a series of injuries in the past few months, Kavanagh is coming back strong and starting to find her form again. The 24-year-old Durban-based athlete won the Durban International 10km event. She then ran under 33 minutes at the Spar race in Durban, coming home in 32:32 for a fifth-place finish, the second fastest time of her career. Kavanagh has a love affair with the race, having won the 2021 edition in a personal best time of 32:10, where she beat friend and teammate, Neheng Khatala. The last member in the team is Rutendo Nyahora – a consistent performer in the distance.
💥 3 Top 10 finishes on the streets of the Mother City!🏖️🔥
— Hollywood Athletics Club (@HWAthleticsClub) May 12, 2025
Our Purple Power showed up and showed off at the ABSA Run Your City 10km this weekend!
- Stephen Mokoka placed 3rd (28:06) 🏃♂️
- Neheng Khatala placed 4th (32:55) 🏃♀️
- Tayla Kavanagh placed 6th (33:01)
Purple vibes. Big… pic.twitter.com/LwN8WSRIHB
