The Organizers of the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series are excited to announce that one of the World’s best female athletes, Prisca Chesang (Uganda) who boasts a 10km personal best time of 30:19, will make her Absa RUN YOUR CITY CAPE TOWN 10K debut on Sunday, 14 May 2023.
On New Year’s Eve 2022, Prisca won the Madrid 10km in an astonishing time of 30:19. That made her unofficially the fastest-ever junior athlete over the 10km distance, ranking her 6th on the Senior World List for 2022 and on the top 20 World All Time list. Although only 19 years of age, few female athletes of Prisca’s caliber have competed in South Africa.
“The Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series strives to attract the world’s best athletes to South Africa to race against our stars,” says Michael Meyer, Managing Director of Stillwater Sports and Founder of the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series. “We are thrilled to welcome Prisca, one of the best 10km female athletes in the world, to the Mother City. It is important that we show Africa excellence in women’s running and we are proud to do so in the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series. Prisca, having run 30:19 at the Madrid 10km over New Year, will be one of the fastest ever women to race over 10k in South Africa.”
Prisca finished 7th overall at the World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst, Australia in February this year – in the senior division. The young sensation new heads to Cape Town, South Africa for the 2023 Absa RUN YOUR CITY CAPE TOWN 10K on Sunday 14 May and is expected to take the race by storm. In winning the San Silvestre 10km, she was almost a minute ahead of Olympian Francine Niyonsaba (31:16) who is the World Record Holder over 2000m.
Prisca follows in the footsteps of her famous countrymen and women, Joshua Cheptegei (multiple World Champions, Olympic Champions, and double World Record Holder) and Stella Chesang (the 2018 10 000m Commonwealth Games Champion).
Prisca has already made a name for herself, winning Bronze at the World U20 Championships in the 5000m in both 2021 and 2022. But it’s her 10km time and her placing at the World Cross Country Championships in 2023 in the senior race that has the athletics world taking notice.
The route at the San Silvestre in Madrid is fast and flat as is the route of the Absa RUN YOUR CITY CAPE TOWN 10K which saw Stella Chesang clock 30:40 in 2022 to win the race and drag the top 6 women under 32min. Prisca will relish the course and can be expected to set a blistering pace come Sunday 14 May.
Prisca is expected to lead the iconic mass participation road race, the Absa RUN YOUR CITY CAPE TOWN 10K that will start in Milnerton and head off into the City Centre, hugging the Atlantic Coastline.
“I want to qualify for the World Championships,” says a very determined Chesang. “My training partner and captain of our group, Stella Chesang won last year in a fast time. So, I’ve heard very good things about the race. Some of my other training partners (Stephen Kissa and Joshua Cheptegei) have also run in Cape Town and Durban (at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K). According to them it’s like running in Europe, but in Africa. The races are well organized, while the courses are fast.”
“Cape Town is known as a beautiful city, so I hope to run well and get a chance to see some of the city attractions,” continues Chesang. “I am aiming to shoot for the World Championships qualifying time of 30:40. I ran well in the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in February, placing 7th and stayed for two weeks in Australia to do a 3000m and a 10km on the road. Afterward I took a brief break before starting to build up again. Training has been good. The Absa RUN YOUR CITY CAPE TOWN 10K will be my first race again of the Sumer season, it will also be my first time in South Africa. I am really looking forward to it.”
CHARITY SUPPORT: Celebrating its 8th anniversary in 2023, when entering the Absa RUN YOUR CITY CAPE TOWN 10K runners (and walkers) can support one or all five of the event’s charities: Cape of Good Hope SPCA, Cotlands, help2read, Die Burger Kinderfonds and Reach For A Dream.
All Information on the race event details is available on the website
