"We needed a very hard race in the buildup" - Mayer reflects on Mulaudzi's European debut at Great Manchester Run 10k

Running against one of his heroes in Selemon Barega and with the weight of of South African expectation on his shoulders, Kabelo Mulaudzi delivered - by his standards - a sub-par performance on his European debut at the Great Manchester Run 10km race in the United Kingdom on Sunday 31 May. After running with the lead bunch until just before the 7km mark which he passed in 19:38, Mulaudzi suffered over the last three kilometres, eventually completing the 10km race in 28:37 for 11th position - which was exactly a minute behind Berega's winning time.

Although disappointed that he didn't manage to get close to his 27:41 personal best, Mulaudzi's coach Richard Mayer sees the glass as half full. Pointing to the long injury layoff that saw him miss the World Cross Country Championships in the United States January and the cancellation of the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Cape Town 10K on 10 May, which denied him a world class racing opportunity to increase his anaerobic tolerance, Mayer believes Mr Podium ran well in what was only his second 10km race of 2026.

Mulaudzi is confident of a better performance next time around. Photo Credit: Supplied.

"He was fit, prepared and he felt good. But we needed a very hard race in the build up just to get him used to the intensity of an all out 10km effort. So the unfortunate cancellation of the Absa CAPE TOWN 10K was a blow," Mayer explains. 

"When the leaders moved at 7km and ran a 2:33 kilometre, he went with them because he is a racer and a warrior. But the trouble is that when you go with them and run well beyond your optimal pace, you go into anaerobic respiration and then he broke down and blew up. No excuses though. He did his best on the day and it was a privilege to be there."

Mayer and Mulaudzi pose for a photo on the streets of Manchester after the race. Photo Credit: Richard Mayer.

The Puma Ambassador echoed his mentor's sentiments. Known for winning four of five Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series races last year, the 28-year-old reigning national 10 000m champion is not dispirited. If anything, the Boxer Athletic Club top runner is encouraged by what he learnt racing against some of the best in the world and is confident of producing a better performance next time he races overseas.

"I learnt a lot from this. For example, we ran much later in the day than we do in South Africa. Our race started at 11H45. I also need to get used to different race conditions against different athletes. We have a certain style of racing in SA and this was different. Although I am a bit disappointed that I didn't do better, it was a good experience overall. I know I can do better."