Big Rewards: Chase your share of the 2026 Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K Prize Purse
Celebrating its 9th anniversary on Sunday, 12 July 2026, the Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K features an impressive prize purse and SA athlete incentives designed to motivate runners to deliver their best performances on a course that is known to be fast.
The Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series’ 2026 combined prize purse stands at R1 686 000, further enhanced by innovative incentives for South African athletes – designed to inspire standout performances and unforgettable moments.
“An impressive prize purse is a key pillar of the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series, as it not only plays a vital role in attracting a competitive elite field and motivating everyday runners to push beyond their limits and deliver personal best performances, but also serves as a welcomed and deserved reward for athletes who put in the hard work and commitment to excel,” says Michael Meyer, Managing Director of Stillwater Sports and Series Founder. “With Durban’s fast, flat course, this is the one event where quick times, personal bests, and record-breaking performances are always on the cards. Durban never disappoints. We look forward to witnessing world-class racing at its best on South African soil.”
2026 Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series Prize Purse Breakdown:
In 2026 the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series features a total combined prize pruse of R1 686 000. Each of the five events (Gqeberha, Cape Town, Durban, Tshwane and Joburg) boast a total prize allocation of R337 200.00, with R267 200.00 dedicated to the Open Category. This includes R133 600.00 for the Top 10 Open Men and R133 600.00 for the Top 10 Open Women. The top male and female finishers in each city will take home R33 000.00, while second place will earn R24 000.00 and third place R21 000.00. In addition, R70 000.00 per event has been allocated to Age Categories, rewarding the top three finishers in the Junior, 40–49, 50–59, 60–69 and 70+ age groups.
Exciting 2026 SA Athlete Incentives:
Alongside the impressive combined prize purse, Stillwater Sports has raised the bar with an impressive SA Athlete Prize Incentive Schedule in 2026. Applied across all five Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series races, the incentive programme rewards exceptional performances and encourages South African athletes to chase new limits.
In the Elite Men’s race, bonuses kick in for times faster than 28 minutes, with a remarkable R300 000.00 incentive up for grabs for breaking the 27-minute barrier, while a new SA Record (the fastest runner) will secure an additional R50 000. The Elite Women’s race is equally rewarding, with bonuses starting for times faster than 32:08, and an exceptional R300 000.00 bonus for athletes who dip under 30:20. A new SA Record (the fastest runner) will secure an additional R50 000.
Added Bonuses: To further turn up the heat, additional bonuses will be awarded for consistent excellence across the series:
Elite Men
- R20 000 bonus for breaking 28 minutes twice during the 2026 series.
- R30 000 bonus for breaking 28 minutes three times in 2026.
Elite Women
- R20 000 bonus for breaking 32:08 twice during the 2026 series.
- R30 000 bonus for breaking 32:08 three times in 2026.
To view the 2026 Prize Purse Breakdown and SA Athlete Incentive Schedule, visit https://runyourcityseries.com/
EVENT DATES: 2026 Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series
| Sunday 01 March 2026 | Absa RUN YOUR CITY GQEBERHA 10K Elite Men’s Winner: Adriaan Wildschutt (RSA) 27:47 Elite Women’s Winner: Brenda Jepchirchir (KEN) 30:15 |
| Sunday 10 May 2026 | Absa RUN YOUR CITY CAPE TOWN 10K CANCELLED DUE TO SEVERE WEATHER FORECAST |
| Sunday 12 July 2026 | Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K |
| Start Line: Masabalala Yengwa Avenue (MY) | |
| Finish Venue: Sunkist Lawns, Durban Promenade | |
| Entry Fee: Licensed Runner: R255.00 Temporary License: R60.00 | |
| Entries Open: Thursday 19 March 2026 Entries Close: Monday 29 June 2026 or once capacity has been reached | |
| Sunday 23 August 2026 | Absa RUN YOUR CITY TSHWANE 10K |
| Thursday 24 September 2026 | Absa RUN YOUR CITY JOBURG 10K |
Facebook: @Gqeberha10k / @CapeTown10k / @Durban10k / @Tshwane10k / @Joburg10k
Instagram: @Gqeberha10k / @CapeTown10k / @Durban10k / @Tshwane10k / @Joburg10k
Hashtag: #RunYourCity #AbsaRunYourCity
WhatsApp Line: 072 042 7613
Websites: www.runyourcityseries.com
About Absa
Absa Group is listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and is one of Africa’s largest diversified financial services groups.
Absa Group offers an integrated set of products and services across personal and business banking, corporate and investment banking, wealth and investment management and insurance. Absa operates in fourteen countries. The Group owns majority stakes in banks in Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania (Absa Bank Tanzania and National Bank of Commerce), Uganda and Zambia and has insurance operations in Botswana, Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, and Zambia. Absa also has representative offices in Namibia and Nigeria, and securities entities in the United Kingdom and the United States. For further information about Absa Group Limited, please visit www.absa.africa
About the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series
A proudly South African mass participation road running series, the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series has been revolutionizing the sport since 2015. A road running celebration like no other, the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series comprises five unique events namely the Absa RUN YOUR CITY GQEBERHA 10K (launched in 2023), Absa RUN YOUR CITY CAPE TOWN 10K (launched in 2015), the Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K (launched in 2017), Absa RUN YOUR CITY TSHWANE 10K (launched in 2023) and the Absa RUN YOUR CITY JOBURG 10K (launched in 2016). A diverse road running series, the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series integrates businesses, families, investment in community, world class achievement and fun for all participants. For further information please visit https://runyourcityseries.com/
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