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A former 1500m specialist with a lifetime best of 3:40.05, the 29-year-old Damons has, in recent years, started stepping up to the 10km distance on the road. The 28:48 personal best he produced at the 2023 Absa RUN YOUR CITY GQEBERHA 10K hinted at his considerable potential - further underlined by his strong recent form. Since joining the Langa Athletics Club earlier this year, Damons has clocked a season’s best of 29:29 at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY CAPE TOWN 10K on 11 May, earned a silver medal at the Western Province 10km Championships, and defended his title at the Gugs Youth Day 10km with a time of 29:36 five weeks later - all while continuing to dominate the 4km event at WPA Cross Country League races in June.
As one of a handful of Cape Town athletes able to mix it with South Africa’s top 10km contenders - most of whom live and train at altitude in Gauteng and the North West province - Manenberg-based Damons believes he is ready to deliver the best 10km performance of his career.
“We kicked off the season with two solid performances – the Absa RUN YOUR CITY CAPE TOWN 10K and the Western Province Athletics 10km Championships. It’s been a tough training block, and I’m proud to see the work begin to translate. I’m excited to run the Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K because I’ve never run it before, and I hear it’s a fast race. My aim is to break my personal best and get close to a top ten finish,” says Damons.
Also eagerly anticipating the famously fast Durban course is Lebo Phalula. The fastest 40-year-old 10km female athlete in South Africa is enjoying a rich vein of form, having clocked 32:38 to place fifth at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY GQEBERHA 10K on 13 April, improving her own 40+ SA Women’s 10km record in the process.
A multiple former SA Champion and 2016 Olympian, Phalula credits her twin sister Lebogang and her husband Gladwin Mzazi for their unwavering support and the key role they play in her enduring success.
“My sister is always helping me,” says Phalula. “When I do my long run, she’s always there. It’s only discipline that keeps me going. If you want things, you need to take action. If you’re hungry, you need to work hard so that you can get what you want and live like a queen. I will try my best because I want to run sub-33. I will just go there and enjoy myself.”
“It’s incredibly rewarding to witness athletes stepping up to the 10km distance and showing consistent improvement within the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series,” says Michael Meyer, Managing Director of Stillwater Sports and Series Founder. “At the same time, seeing stalwarts like Lebo Phalula continue to grow stronger with age - defying expectations and inspiring the next generation - is truly special. The action is heating up in Durban, and we wish all the athletes the very best as they prepare to deliver exceptional performances at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K in 2025.”