Precious Mashele celebrates Birthday as fastest South African to complete a 5km run on SA soil

Precious Mashele delivered a stellar performance on Sunday, 13 October 2024, successfully defending his title at the Boxer Super Run in Durban and becoming the fastest South African to complete a 5km run on home soil with an impressive time of 13:39. In the Women’s Elite Race, Karabo More took top honours, crossing the finish line in 16:16.

“I’m very happy to have won today, especially since it’s my birthday,” says a beaming Precious Mashele. “The race was exciting. We ran the same route as last year, but this time without the wind. All of my Boxer teammates were fierce competition—whenever we race in the RUN YOUR CITY events, they’re always on the podium, so I knew they’d push me hard. In the last 2km, I made sure to up the pace so they couldn’t catch me. I had some doubts, as I haven’t been racing well, but I reminded myself that it’s my birthday, and this win is a gift to myself. The Boxer Super Run holds a special place for me—Boxer Superstores and Stillwater Sports take such great care of us athletes, so performing well here means a lot.”

Boxer Athletics Club claimed all three spots on the podium with Kabelo Mulaudzi finishing 2nd and Chris Mhlanga 3rd. 

Making her debut at the Boxer Super Run, Karabo More of Boxer Athletics Club delivered a standout performance in the Elite Women’s Race. “I’ve been off the racing scene for a while, so today was all about regaining my confidence,” says a delighted More. “As part of my comeback, I’ve decided to enter races as they come, just to gauge where I am in my training. My strategy was to stay with the pack, work with the other women, and then in the last 2km, really push. It’s all about taking risks and seeing where they put you. I didn’t expect to win today—I was running with the big girls. Those girls are very strong. It wasn’t until the last kilometre that I thought, ‘I’ve got this.’ That’s the key moment in the race. The Boxer Super Run is tough and extremely fast. Winning feels amazing, and I’ll definitely be back next year.”

Gerda Steyn (Phantane AC) came in 2nd, with Cacisile Sosibo (Boxer Athletics Club) finishing 3rd.

"It was an amazing race today,” says Gerda Steyn. “While 5km isn’t my usual race distance, I absolutely loved every moment from start to finish. The strong competition really pushed me, and I’m happy with my time. I wasn’t too focused on my pace during the race, but finishing in second place means a lot to me. I was putting myself out there and following the race tactics, and overall, I’m really, really pleased with the outcome. The ice is broken now with the Boxer Super Run 5K Series, and I definitely hope to be back next year!"

“The Boxer Super Run delivered a thrilling display of talent today in Durban,” says Michael Meyer, Managing Director of Stillwater Sports. “We are thankful to all the participants, supporters, and sponsors who contributed to the success of this event. It was inspiring to see elite athletes, emerging talent, and runners from all walks of life come together to push their limits over 5km. A huge congratulations goes out to Precious Mashele and Karabo More for your outstanding performances in the Elite Men’s and Women’s races. You've truly set the bar high for South Africa's future running stars.”

"Congratulations to Precious Mashele and Karabo More for their incredible performances at the Boxer Super Run Durban," says Lee-Ann Pillay, Head of Marketing at Boxer Superstores. "You took elite racing to the next level and had us all on the edge of our seats. It was an absolute privilege to witness this level of talent right here on South African soil. A heartfelt thank you to the thousands of runners who came out to make the day so special. It was a memorable celebration of fitness, fun, and community spirit, and we can't wait to bring the same excitement to Tshwane for the debut of the Boxer Super Run Tshwane on Sunday, 10 November!"