"27:10 is possible" - Mulaudzi to make international 10km debut

Kabelo Mulaudzi is set to make his eagerly awaited international road running debut. As confirmed by his coach, Richard Mayer, in an exclusive interview with #TnheTopRunner, the reigning SA 10 000m champion and winner of four Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series 10km races last year, will race the AJ Bell Great Manchester Run, taking place in Manchester, England on 31 May. Mayer expressed his enthusiasm at the prospect of Mulaudzi competing overseas, as this was a key goal for the year.

"Kabelo is naturally extremely excited about competing in Manchester. He asked me at the beginning of the year to arrange an overseas 10km race for him because he wanted to compete internationally and we needed to find the right race," said an elated Mayer.

"We did not want a race that was too fast in which the leaders ran well under 27 minutes which would leave Kabelo too far behind for the leaders to help him," he explains. "So, we wanted a race which would be won in about 27:00. I contacted world authority on road running, David Monti, and he recommended the Manchester 10 km, which is part of the AJ Bell Great Manchester Run. I contacted the organiser, Matt Turnbull, and he was happy to extend an invitation to Kabelo and pay his travel and accommodation expenses and an appearance fee."

With the 28-year-old Puma ambassador set to make his Absa RYC opener in Cape Town on Sunday 10 May after missing the first leg in Gqeberha, Mayer believes they have figured out how to balance these two important races.

"Every Absa race is special to Kabelo, and he hopes to do well in Cape Town which will give him confidence for Manchester. We train according to the strategy whereby the athlete races himself to peak race fitness via preparation races and time trials and the Absa Cape Town 10km is an important race in itself but also serves as a buildup to Manchester," he said.

The Boxer Athletic Club top runner joins such global distance stars as Olympic Champion Joshua Cheptegei, World Championships medalist Daniel Ebenyo, and Commonwealth champion Stella Chesang, who have previously leveraged their participation in the RUN YOUR CITY SERIES to launch their international careers. Given the caliber of competitors, including 2020 Olympic 10,000m Champion Selemon Barega, 2023 Berlin Marathon runner-up Vincent Kipkemoi Ngetich of Kenya, and Santiago Catrofe, all of whom have achieved sub-28 minute times, Mayer believes that the race is the perfect opportunity for Mulaudzi to improve on his lifetime best of 27:41 which he set during his victory at the 2025 Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K.

"Kabelo is hoping to run a really big personal best time and we think that a time in the range of 27:10 to 27:20 is possible, although it would depend on race conditions. 27:00 is very fast and it would be great to get as close as possible to this barrier."