Lebo Phalula Eyes Top 5
When 41-year-old Lebo Phalula toes the line at the 2025 Absa RUN YOUR CITY CAPE TOWN 10K on Sunday, May 11, she won’t just be chasing the front of the pack—she’ll be rewriting the narrative on age, endurance, and excellence.
Fresh off a historic performance at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY GQEBERHA 10K on April 13, where she clocked an incredible 32:38 to smash the South African veteran (40+) 10km record, Phalula has firmly reasserted her position as a formidable force on the road. Her time was not only the second-fastest of her illustrious 25-year career, but also a bold declaration that experience still has a place at the top.
“I maintain that age is just a number,” said Phalula with a smile.
“I try not to think about the fact that I’m forty or I’m old, or whatever. I just tell myself that I’m young like those youngsters that are running brilliantly in South Africa. If I can keep telling myself that I’m young then I will do well. I’m happy.”
Phalula’s fifth-place finish in Gqeberha came just two weeks after a similar result at the SPAR Women’s Grand Prix in Cape Town on March 30. Returning to ‘The Mother City’ this time on Mother’s Day, the mother of one is targeting yet another top-five finish in a season that’s fast becoming a celebration of consistency and resilience.
“I want to do my best there (Cape Town). I’m done chasing records for now. I just want to enjoy my race. My aim is to be in the top four or top five. In my mind I’m young. People see me as forty, but in my mind I am twenty years old,” she added.
Joining her on the streets of Cape Town is another athlete making waves—21-year-old, Kamohelo Mofolo.
Mofolo Targets Sub-28
The Lesotho-born star, now racing for KZN’s Xcel Running Club, stunned the field with a personal best of 28:11 at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY GQEBERHA 10K. Coached by American James McKirdy, who guided fellow Lesotho athlete Tebello Ramakongoana to a top ten finish at the 2024 Boston Marathon, Mofolo is now eyeing a major breakthrough.
Kamohelo Mofolo wins 2024 Absa RYC TSHWANE 10K by Tobias Ginsberg
“My dream is to compete overseas over 21km and 10km,” Mofolo explained.
“I must improve my times. So my target is to break Namakoe Nkhasi’s National Record (27:52). That’s my aim this year, to break my personal best.”
With an ambitious mindset and a steady trajectory, Mofolo is among the elite men pushing for a sub-28 performance—a mark that will not only set him apart locally but also put him on the radar internationally.
Michael Meyer, Managing Director of Stillwater Sports and founder of the RUN YOUR CITY Series, expressed his excitement: “Lebo continues to defy the odds at 41, finishing fifth at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY GQEBERHA 10K and setting a new SA Veterans record in a time of 32:38 was nothing short of remarkable, while Kamohelo, at just 21, is proving to be a rising force. Their presence adds excitement and depth to this year’s event.”
With a R1.61 million prize purse and an additional R200,000 bonus for sub-27 (men) or sub-30:23 (women) performances, the stakes are high. But for Phalula and Mofolo, it’s more than just prize money—it’s about rewriting possibilities.
#RunYourCity #AbsaRunYourCity
Event Info: www.runyourcityseries.com
