Champ Jantjies eyes top-10 finish at Mangaung 10km inaugural race

Two Oceans Marathon champion Arthur Jantjies is excited about the inaugural Absa Run Your City Series Mangaung 10 km, taking place on October 25.

Jantjies said the event will breathe new life into athletics in SA’s heartland by empowering and inspiring the next generation of runners.

“This is big for the Free State and the Northern Cape because we will be able to run against the best and share knowledge,” he said.

Jantjies, 26, defeated 2024 Totalsports Two Oceans winner Onalenna Khonkhobe to claim victory at the world’s most beautiful ultra marathon in April.

Under the guidance of coach John Hamlett, he improved his 10km personal best to 29:19 in May, followed by a 29:32 clocking at the Durban 10km race in July.

The Pan African Resources elite athlete has predicted a fast time on the flat Free State Mangaung 10km route, warning that he cannot be counted out of a top-10 finish.

“We have a flat course and dry air, so everything is nice here,” said Jantjies from Hopetown, about 120km from Kimberley, in the Northern Cape.

Michael Meyer, MD of Stillwater Sports and founde r of the Absa Mangaung 10km race, said Jantjies was a “fantastic addition” to the inaugural race, and that his journey from the Free State and Northern Cape running community to becoming a Two Oceans champion is “hugely inspiring”.

He added: “Bringing the event to Mangaung is about more than adding another race to the calendar; it’s about creating opportunities for local runners to compete alongside some of SA’s best and showing the next generation what is possible. Having Arthur in the mix at the inaugural event makes his participation particularly special.” - Sowetan Reporter