Bennett Seloyi sets sights on top-10 finish at Cape Town Marathon

Fresh from winning the Athletics South Africa (ASA) 10km Trials at the Tshwane University of Technology, the 24-year-old Limpopo-born runner says his preparations for the marathon on 17 October are on track.

Seloyi, who claimed his maiden national 42.2km title earlier this year in 2:20:12, securing both the Peninsula Marathon and national championship crowns, has been growing in confidence with each race.

In recent weeks, he finished third in 28:51 in one of the Absa Run Your City 10km races, followed by a second-place finish in 30:00 at the Hollywoodbets Joburg 10km. His consistency culminated in another impressive performance on Friday, when he won the national 10km title in 30:09, beating marathon record holder Elroy Gelant (30:18) and Sanele Masondo (30:24) to secure his place in Team SA for the World Cross Country Championships in the United States in January 2026.

Coached by Best Ngwenya in Tembisa, Seloyi is enjoying a breakthrough season and believes he can take another big step in Cape Town.

“The preparations for the Cape Town Marathon are going well. I feel a little bit tired, but I believe I can do it,” said the Boxer Running Club star. “I’m focusing on the races on the Boxer calendar and my long runs. That’s why I did the Absa Run Your City, where I secured a third-place finish on Heritage Day and the Soweto Marathon will be my final race of the year.”

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Seloyi has set his sights on running under 2:10 to improve on his previous 2:16 performance in the Cape Town Marathon.

“Two years ago, I started two minutes behind the elite runners. If I can start with them this time, maybe they can push me to the target I want,” he explained.

The humble athlete also credits three-time Cape Town Marathon winner Stephen Mokoka as his biggest influence.

“I learn a lot from Mokoka. He is disciplined and has incredible pace. He’s my role model — I copy and learn from him,” said Seloyi. “He knows how to win a marathon and how to stick to a pace. From 8km onward, he’ll guide me.”

If Seloyi achieves his top-10 goal in Cape Town, it will cap off what has already been a dream year for one of South Africa’s most promising long-distance runners.