Cross country champ Zenzile Pheko targets another Run Your City 10km podium

Pheko announced himself in the series last month when he finished second in Tshwane in 28:55, becoming the first South African to cross the finish line.

The 21-year-old then proved that performance was no fluke by winning his maiden Athletics South Africa Cross Country Championship 10km title last week.

The Boxer Running Club athlete is now growing in confidence and wants to challenge the strong East African field once again.

Pheko says finishing on the podium in Tshwane was a special moment after a difficult start to his Run Your City campaign.

“It was a big moment for me. It was big because it was the first time I was on the podium in the series. Before that, my best performance was fifth place on my debut at the Gqeberha 10km earlier this year, then I finished in 21st position in Durban. In Pretoria, I was so happy because it’s something I had never achieved before,” he told SABC Sport.

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The young runner produced the biggest performance of his career at Curro Hazeldean High School in Tshwane, beating national marathon record holder Elroy Gelant and former national marathon winner Bennet Seloyi to claim his first national title.

With his sights set on representing South Africa at the Olympic Games one day, Pheko hopes his recent success will give him more confidence and recognition.

He now wants to turn that confidence into another strong performance in Joburg, where he will once again test himself against some of the best runners from East Africa.

Pheko is expecting another tough race but insists he is not intimidated by the Kenyans and Ethiopians.

“I’m very happy because I know that in the series, I will face a strong challenge. So, this win has boosted my confidence going into the race on Heritage Day. I am not scared of the Kenyans and Ethiopians. I expect them to come out guns blazing, but I’m not afraid of the challenge. I’m feeling a bit fluish, so hopefully I will recover on time. I expect a top 10 finish, but I will fight for a podium,” he added.