Brenda Jepchirchir’s stunning Absa Run Your City Gqeberha 10K debut overshadowed by men’s record bid
Road Running
Brenda Jepchirchir of Kenya claims gold in the elite women’s race in a time of 30:15 at the 2026 Absa Run Your City Gqeberha 10K.
Image: Anthony Grote
Kenya’s Brenda Jepchirchir marked an emphatic debut at the Absa Run Your City Gqeberha 10K on Sunday, narrowly missing a historic sub-30-minute run to claim a memorable victory in the women’s elite race.
However, the enormity of her achievement was overshadowed by the excitement surrounding multiple national record holder Adriaan Wildschutt’s attempt to run the first 26-minute 10km on African soil in the men’s event.
Paced by local favourite Melikhaya Frans, Jepchirchir surged from the start, reaching the halfway mark in a blistering 14:49, with training partner Faith Cherono close behind. Despite stiff winds in the second half, she maintained her rhythm to cross the line in 30:15 – just one second shy of the South African All-Comers Record set by Christine Njoki last August.
National record holder Glenrose Xaba secured third position in a time of 32:13 at Sunday's race.
Image: Rae Trewbrowne
Cherono claimed second in 30:44, while South Africa’s Glenrose Xaba rounded out the podium in 32:13, securing her fourth top-three finish in her last five Absa Series races. Xaba holds the South African women's 10km record of 31:12.
“I was looking to run sub 30 minutes, but the wind in the last 5km made it tough,” Jepchirchir said after the race. “Still, I’m feeling good and I want to come back to run the Absa Run City Series again in Cape Town in May.”
Defending champion Wildschutt delivered another commanding performance, but the absence of pacemakers Ryan Mphahlele and Luan Munnik ultimately dashed his record hopes. The US-based runner broke clear just before the halfway mark, distancing himself from Isaac Kibet Ndiema to finish in 27:47 and retain his Gqeberha title. Debutant Tshepo Tshite claimed third in 28:09.
Despite the setback, Olympian Wildschutt remains determined to break the 27-minute 10km barrier on African soil, after clocking 27:28 in Gqeberha last year. That national record was later eclipsed by Maxime Chaumeton, who ran 26:55 in Romania.
“If I have the right training partners, pacemakers and good conditions, then it is possible. Absolutely possible! There are a few things I want to experiment with. Hopefully I’ll get another opportunity,” Wildschutt said.
* Rowan Callaghan is Independent Media's general sports reporter, with a passion for the English Premier League. He is also a senior contributor for our YouTube channel The Clutch