Kabelo Mulaudzi confirms Gqeberha entry after injury setback

The 28-year-old, who is coached by Richard Meyer in Alexandra township, enjoyed a historic 2025 season after winning four races in the series, becoming the first athlete to achieve the feat.

Mulaudzi also walked away with R30 000 prize money on four occasions after breaking several course records.

This year, the increased prize money has further boosted his motivation, with the winner’s cheque rising by R3 000 to R33 000 for both men and women. However, Mulaudzi’s main focus is firmly on breaking the national 10km record, which carries a lucrative bonus.

The current South African 10km record of 26:55 is held by Maxime Chaumeton, set in Romania last year. Mulaudzi believes the incentive structure introduced by the series provides the perfect platform to chase fast times.

“As an athlete who specialises in shorter distances, the Series allows me to focus purely on 10km racing without having to move up to half marathons or marathons just to earn decent prize money,” Mulaudzi told SABC Sport.

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“For a long time in South Africa, there were very few opportunities for sub-marathon athletes to make a sustainable income, so the prize money on offer in this Series is a game changer.”

He added that the time-based bonuses encourage consistent, high-level performances.

“The incentive structure really pushes athletes to run fast — whether it’s the R200 000 for running under 27:10, the R300 000 for breaking 27:00, or the rewards for consistently running under 28 minutes. I strongly believe athletes should be rewarded for fast performances rather than appearance money.”

As he prepares to test himself against some of the best runners from Southern and East Africa, Mulaudzi will be aiming to build on his experience in the series, which he has won six times, while keeping his sights firmly set on a new national 10km record.