Kabelo Mulaudzi confident ahead of Absa TSHWANE 10K after dominating CGA Cross Country Champs

Kabelo Mulaudzi announced his readiness to become the first South African winner of back-to-back Absa RUN YOUR CITY races when he delivered a dominant performance at the Central Gauteng Athletics (CGA) Cross Country Championships on Saturday. The 25-year-old from Alexandra Township cruised to a commanding victory (29:43) in the senior men's 10km ahead of 2022 SA 10km champion Andries Sesedi (30:28) and third placed Chris Mhlanga (30:40) who recently returned from the World Student Games. He says he is feeling good after battling with injury.

Seboko has performed well throughout the 2023 Cross Country season. Here he is pictured leading the Senior men's 4km race during teh fourth league meeting in Daveyton where he finished as the runner-up (11:58), just one second behind 1500m specialist Nkosinathi Sibiya of the University of Johannesburg. Photo Credit: CGA Media.

To be honest, last year's injury weighed heavily on my mind because it came when I was in good shape. So it was tough. But I stayed positive and told myself that nothing lasts forever. I told myself things will go back to normal," he told #TheTopRunner. "Injuries are part of the game and you need to accept them. So I made a decision to reunite with my old coach to start from scratch. I think he is the one that understands me better. Now, the result are starting to come," said the Boxer Athletic Club top runner who recently changed his surname from Seboko to Mulaudzi.

That forceful solo run at the Kagiso Sports Complex on Saturday 19 August means that the an who represented the country at the 2019 World Cross Country Championships in Denmark, will lead the CGA senior men's team at the national Cross Country Championships in Gqeberha on 16 September. It also means that man who won last month's Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K in 27:56, is in the shape of his life going into the Absa RUN YOUR CITY TSHWANE 10K on Sunday.

Kabelo Seboko credits his coach Richard Mayer and training partner Marko Bucarrazi for his breakthrough victory at the 2023 Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K. Photo Credit: Anthony Grote.

"It’s an amazing feeling to break 28 minutes. Sometimes it still shocks me to think that I achieved that. The result has built my confidence and self-belief. I want to keep performing to maintain my confidence. I am excited to race the Absa RUN YOUR CITY TSHWANE 10K. It's a big event for me and a very well organized one. I am preparing well for it. I will approach the race with confidence but with control. I want to be able to respond to any race situation in the best way that I can," said the man who is coached by Richard Mayer.

And with the route for the inaugural running of the race having been revealed last week, the man who started as a steeplechase athlete will fancy his chances of coming out on top. That's because while many expected a tough and hilly route, race organisers have revealed that it is a flatter course where the speed merchants like Seboko will enjoy an advantage over the strength runners.

Michael Meyer, Stillwater Sports' Managing Director and the Founder of the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series says the route has been designed to be fast for the top runners and fun for the thousands of social runners that will paint the streets of the capital city red on 27 August. "Participants will be treated to lively performances from some of Tshwane’s leading performing arts groups whilst taking in sightings of several of Tshwane’s iconic landmarks including the Union Buildings, South African State Theatre, Absa Towers, Church Square, Palace of Justic Building, Pretoria High Court, Pretoria Art Museum, Loftus Stadium and the SA Heavy Artillery Memorial to mention just a few."

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