Over R350 000 up for grabs as Hollywoodbets Durban 10k increase prize money

When the race was run last year, Kabelo Mulaudzi, Elroy Gelant and Thabang Mosiako faced off on a lightening fast course which produced a winning time of 28:01 for Mulaudzi, a then personal best of 28:04 for Gelant in second place and 28:07 for Mosiako. This time around, the fourth edition of the Hollywoodbets Durban 10k promises to be even faster. According to Hollywood Athletics Club Elite Manager Manfred Seidler, they have made revisions to the course which should deliver the race’s fastest winning time yet.

"We’d love for South Arica’s best to line up at the Hollywoodbets Durban 10k. IT is a fast route. We saw that last year. We have made changes to the finishing straight to take 10 or 15 seconds out. Remember that last year we finished in a U-shape at the Kings Park outer fields, but this time it’s a straight line finish and we’re hoping that will give us faster times," he explained.

What is also likely to contribute to a first sub 28 minute clocking in the history of the event which first took place in 2021, is that the prize money has been increased. In 2023, Mulaudzi and Cian Oldknow took home R35 000 for crossing the finish line first - an amount which has now been upped to R37 500 to make the race the richest 10km event in the country.

"We deliberated over that and we just thought that it is a fast course and athletes can run really fast times so what better way to reward athletes who run fast times than by increasing the prize money. Athletes work hard for their money. They race hard for their money. In the past few years we’ve seen some really good performances and those should be rewarded. In our small way we’d like to make some contribution to the success of the athletes on race day," he said of the race which now boasts a total prize purse of R357 500. 

The Hollywood Durban 10k takes place in Sunday 29 September at 7am at the Kings Park Stadium outer fields. Entries are open until the 15th of September and are available at https://www.webtickets.co.za/v2/Event.aspx?itemid=1551010914 or any Pick ’n Pay store.