'It's what I've always wanted' - Chaumeton runs SA's first sub 27 10km

Like he did when he became the first South African to break 28 minutes on home soil at the 2022 Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K, Maxime Chaumeton has broken another barrier. Today (5 October) the 25-year-old became the first South African to produce a 26 minute 10km clocking when he finished second behind Ethiopia's Khairi Bejiga (26:54) at the tRUNsylvania International 10K in Brasov, Romania. The remarkable 26:55 he ran eclipses the SA Record of 27:28 set by Olympian Adriaan Wildschutt at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY GQEBERHA 10K in April.

Chaumeton smashed his previous 10km PB of 27:36 run at the same race last year by 41 seconds. Photo Credit: Supplied.

After pushing the pace early on, Chaumeton who is a notorious frontrunner was dropped by Bejiga. But the Asics top runner summoned up some deep internal resources to catch up with Bejiga again and chased him all the way to the finish line, coming in just one second behind the winner. Speaking to #TheTopRunner about his 2025 success, the reigning SA 5000m champion says it's all about attitude and his mindset changed when he beat Adriaan Wildschutt to win the national title in Potchefstroom in April.

"A big confidence booster is Adriaan Wildschutt. Seeing a South African do it has given us the confidence that we can do it as well. I've always believed that if you have the SA records on the track as Adriaan does, then that needs to be your benchmark. Racing at Adriaan at SA's gives us South Africans a lot of hope that we can be at his level, especially when you beat him."

Chaumeton with coach Ramaala at a local track and field event in SA. Photo Credit: Tumelo Mabua.

Today's result means that the man who is coached by 2004 New York Marathon champion Hendrick Ramaala has set both the 5km and 10km SA Road Records. Reflecting on his journey training under Ramaala at Zoo Lake in Johannesburg since he was a primary school athlete, Chaumeton says the guidance provided by Ramaala and his wife Rodica Morianou who is also a former elite athlete, while training alongside Olympians such as. Precious Mashele and Desmond Mokgobu, while taking advice from the likes of multiple SA champion and record holder Stephen Mokoka, is what has moulded him into the athlete he is today.

"I think it's a beautiful thing to be able to make it out of South Africa. Being able to make it on the elite stage, while coming from South Africa is something that I've always wanted. I think what ties everything together is your support structure. I have arguably one of the best athletes that have ever come out of South Africa as a coach and Rodica Morianou who knows all the small little details to get your mind right just before the race. I have training partners like Precious and Desmond that can motivate me and teach me."