Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series unveils a R1.68 million combined Prize Purse and unprecedented SA Athlete Incentives

Since launching in 2015, the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series has transformed the local road running landscape, delivering five electrifying mass participation events across five iconic cities. The action-packed calendar gets underway in Gqeberha in March, before moving on to Cape Town in May, Durban in July and Tshwane in August, and wraps up with a thrilling finale in Johannesburg in September.

“Offering an impressive prize purse is extremely important to us and we are proud to once again be able to do so at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series in 2026,” says Michael Meyer, Managing Director of Stillwater Sports.  “We believe that a strong prize purse does more than reward dedication and loyalty towards the series - it fuels ambition and inspires athletes to chase extraordinary performances. That is why we are proud to continue growing our prize purse each year with 2026 featuring a combined prize purse of R1 686 000.00.”

“Each of the five events will 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 - ensuring excellence is celebrated across generations.”

Exciting 2026 SA Athlete Incentives:
Alongside the impressive combined prize purse, Stillwater Sports once again raises the bar with its acclaimed SA Athlete Prize Incentive Schedule - and 2026 promises to be bigger and bolder than ever. Applied across all five Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series races, the incentive programme rewards exceptional performances and encourages 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 outstanding 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.

In closing, Meyer adds: “In 2025, we paid out an impressive total of R1.9 million in Prize Money and SA Athlete Incentives - an achievement we’re incredibly proud of as event organisers. Building on this momentum, our focus for 2026 is to reward exceptional performances even further and elevate the level of competition in South African middle-distance running. By empowering our elite athletes to build successful careers at home, we’re confident these incentives will attract the country’s top talent and deliver spectacular racing across all five events in 2026.”

Adriaan Wildschutt returns: After a standout 2025 season that saw him better four national records, Adriaan Wildschutt has set his sights on further record-breaking achievements in 2026. Wildschutt will return to the Absa RUN YOUR CITY GQEBERHA 10K on Sunday, 01 March, where he aims to become the first athlete to clock a sub-27-minute 10km on African soil.

“The Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series has been a huge help in providing opportunities for us to run fast and compete against high-quality athletes. The incentives they provide also motivate us to prepare well for these races, which further enhances the competition,” said Wildschutt (Olympian and 5x SA Record holder).

According to Kabelo Mulaudzi, 3x SA Cross Country Champion and 6x Absa RUN YOUR CITY Winner, he is really looking forward to the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series this year.  “As an athlete who specialises in shorter distances, the Series allows me to focus purely on 10km racing without having to step up to half marathons or marathons just to earn decent prize money. 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.”

“I would like to thank Absa, Stillwater Sports and Michael Meyer for creating these opportunities and incentives for South African elite athletes,” continues Mulaudzi. “The time-based incentive structure really encourages fast and consistent performances - whether it’s the R200 000 incentive for running faster than 27:10, the R300 000 for breaking 27:00, or the rewards for consistently running under 28 minutes throughout the season. I strongly believe athletes should be rewarded for fast performances rather than appearance money, and I’m excited to test myself against some of the best athletes from Southern and East Africa in the Series.”

To view the 2026 Prize Purse Breakdown and SA Athlete Incentive Schedule, visit https://runyourcityseries.com/