"I'm doubling!" - Kavanagh eyes 10 000m gold after going sub 15 to win 5000m on day 1 of ASA Champs

KwaZulu-Natal Athletics (KZNA) top runner Tayla Kavanagh, stole the spotlight on the opening day of the Athletics South Africa (ASA) Senior Track & Field Championships at the Coetzenburg Stadium in Stellenbosch, producing a dazzling solo performance of 14:58.52 to claim a maiden national title on the track. This achievement saw the 24-year-old improve upon her previous personal best time of 15:30, set at the KwaZulu-Natal Athletics Championships last month. 

More notably, the Hollywood Athletics Club ace became only the third SA woman after Dominique Scott (14:59.08) and Olympic 10 000m silver medalist Elana Meyer (14:44.05) to break the 15-minute barrier over twelve and a half laps of the track. Kyla Jacobs finished second with an exceptional time of 15:36.33, while AVT’s Zanthe Taljaard secured the bronze medal with a 16:27 clocking.

Kavanagh moved to third on the SA All-Time 5000m list after a memorable run in Stellenbosch. Photo Credit: Cecilia van Bers.

"I ran a really big PB today, so it was nice to get that, but also nice to know I was pretty close to the national record (14:44.05 held by Elana Meyer). I think sometimes athletes can be a little bit sad at the end, saying 'I just missed it' but I'm quite happy to walk away with a personal best and to know how close I was to the record. ou always got to keep that in sight and just be proud of what you've done,” said the self-coached Kavanagh.

Not only did the reigning SA 10km champion secure the national title, but she also put herself in a prime position to receive significant incentives from ASA. Based on the 1166 ranking points obtained for that stellar 5000m, Kavanagh currently leads the overall standings and is likely to pocket R25 000 if she maintains her top position by the end of the championships on Saturday. In fact, Kavanagh who set a 31:33 10km personal best three weeks ago, could end up improving her own points tally if she can run just as well in her favourite 10 000m on Saturday 18 April.

"I'm doubling. I’m doing both 5 and 10," she declared. "I haven’t quite done that before. I sometimes find the 5k to be tougher than the 10k because the 5k can be gruelling. So I’m looking forward to that. I look forward to the challenge."

Leotlela who reach the 2025 World Championships 100m final, successfully defends his SA 100m title with Bradley Nkoana (right) taking the bronze medal behind Benjamin Richardson. Photo Credit: Cecilia van Bers.

In another impressive performance on the day, Central Gauteng Athletics (CGA) athlete Kabelo Mulaudzi achieved a remarkable 28:52 to win the 10 000m event. Mulaudzi executed a tactical and composed race to edge out Boland's Deon-Lee Hendricks, who finished second in 28:55, while KZNA’s Cwenga Nose secured the bronze medal in a spirited 29:07, just four days after finishing fifth at the Totalsports Two Oceans Half Marathon powered by BYD.

In the sprints, Gift Leotlela successfully defended his 100m title with a fine 10:15, narrowly defeating Benjamin Richardson, who came home in 10:16. Bradley Nkoana took third spot with 10:26. In the women's 100m event, a photo finish decided the winner, as Joviale Mbisha retained the title in 11:55, with Viwe Jingqi taking second position. Gabriella Marais of Athletics Free State earned third spot on the podium.