'Mnisi showed up' - Mphahlele and Xaba win as Mnisi delivers best 2025 performance yet to grab Boxer Super Run Joburg 5k podium
- Mosibodi Whitehead
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
Fresh off their golden performances at the Boxer Super Run Durban in October, Ryan Mphahlele and Glenrose Xaba brought their winning form to Jozi - claiming the crowns as King and Queen of the 5km at the inaugural Boxer Super Run Joburg, held at Marks Park Sports Club yesterday (Sunday, 9 November 2025). Mphahlele crossed the finish line first in the ELITE MEN'S WAVE in an impressive time of 14:20 seconds on a tough course. Finishing strongly Bennett Seloyi made up three positions in the second half of the race to claim second (14:22), but one of the most impressive performances of the day was produced by Musawenkosi Mnisi who ran should to shouder with Mphahle until 3km to finish in third place (14:30).
"The plan was to go hard from the start, try maintain the pace and keep the lead," said Mphahlele. "Musawenkosi Mnisi showed up. He caught me on those up-hills. I saw that he was very reluctant to make a move. I just wanted to keep him at bay because he looked strong. I was quite surprised when he fell off the back. He was the toughest challenge today and of course Bennett Seloyi at the end. I had to sprint because he was coming in strong."
Mnisi finished ahead of the likes of pre-race podium favourite Luan Munnik, Chris Mhlanga, Zenzile Pheko, Keanu Domingo and a Precious Mashele that continues his return from long-term injury. Reflecting on his first major podium since grabbing the silver medal behind Kabelo Mulaudzi at the Athletics South Africa 5km Championships in Phalaborwa in July, the 20-year-old who hails from the Secunda township of Mbalenhle says he was rewarded for committing to the early pace set by Mphahlele.
"It's just the way I am. I was born this way. I'm brave. I've never been scared of a fast pace, even when I was younger," he told #TheTopRunner. "The race was good but challenging. It's a tough course. I just tried to hold on for as long as I could especially going up the hills. My philosophy is that I'd rather go with a fast pace and then if I die, I die. But I know that next time, I will perform a little better than this time and go a little further with the leaders. It's how I learn. I want to gain experience."
The ELITE WOMEN'S WAVE delivered equal excitement, with Glenrose Xaba dominating from start to finish to claim gold in a well-deserved time of 16:14. Remarkably, this marks the third consecutive debut victory for Xaba at the Boxer Super Run - following her wins at the Durban debut in 2023, the Tshwane debut in 2024, and now the Joburg debut in 2025. Neheng Khatala came in second, while Karabo More finished third.
"From 2km to 4km, it was really challenging. Only at the 4km mark did we start to go downhill. I’m glad I was able to run a good time on such a tough course. I’m proud to claim gold today - it shows that my hard work is paying off. One of my goals was to win all the races in the different cities - Durban, Tshwane, and Joburg - and I've achieved that. I'm very happy. Thank you, Boxer. This is my home, and I’ll definitely be back next year!"
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