Elroy Gelant targets sub-14 at Boxer 5km after World Championships marathon

By Charles Baloyi
4th October 2025

South African marathon record holder Elroy Gelant has turned his attention to the third edition of the Boxer 5km race in Durban on 12 October, before shifting focus to the Cape Town Marathon five days later.

The 39-year-old, who lectures at North West University in Potchefstroom, is looking to bounce back strongly after finishing 33rd at the World Championships marathon in Tokyo last month, clocking 2:16:32.

Despite not meeting his top-10 target, Gelant says he remains motivated and is determined to end the year on a high.

“I was a bit tired and vomited on race day. My body just didn’t respond well, but I still pushed to finish. These things happen — you learn and grow from them. The journey continues, and I still have the Boxer 5km and Cape Town Marathon coming up,” Gelant told SABC Sport.

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

The long-distance sensation took second place at the Athletics South Africa Cross Country Championships at the Tshwane University of Technology on Friday, finishing in 30:18, behind winner Bennett Seloyi, who stopped the clock at 30:09.

Heading into the Durban race, Gelant hopes to break his personal best of 13:59 and challenge for the podium. “My goal is to run sub-14 minutes and put pressure on what will be a strong field in Durban,” he said.

The Boxer 5km offers a R147,200 prize purse, with R20,000 each for the men’s and women’s winners. Gelant, who finished fifth in the previous edition, praised the initiative as a “game-changer” for South African road running.

“It helps with basic things like running gear or even building a home — the prize money goes a long way in changing a runner’s life. The race is about speed and endurance; it really tests your ability over 5km,” he added.

Among those confirmed for the annual Durban showdown are Andries Sesedi and Bennett Seloyi, while Precious Mashele returns as the defending champion after clocking 13:39 to win last year’s race.

The race continues to grow in popularity, and Gelant believes it has the potential to attract a strong international field in the near future.

“This event is expanding every year and could soon draw international athletes in big numbers. We also have many young local runners with great potential to develop and dominate the local scene,” he said.