Kenya's Christine Njoki, the current holder of the SA all-comers record, claimed a dominating victory at the Totalsports Women's Race in Durban on Sunday 4 August 2024.
Starting and finishing at the Suncoast Casino on Snell Parade, the streets of Durban buzzed with excitement as a record field of 7500 runners gathered to partake in one of Durban’s most iconic Women’s Month celebrations.
Celebrating her Totalsports Women’s Race debut, this was only Christine Njoki's second appearance in Durban. Just under a month ago, on July 7, she secured the SA all-comers record in the city. Although the record eluded her this time, she finished the race in an impressive 31 minutes, just 23 seconds shy of her personal best and the SA all-comers record.
“My race was good. My target was to run under 30 minutes, but we had some wind on the course which made it tough. As athletes, we have to fight. I’m happy with my performance as today’s result isn’t far from my personal best,” says Njoki. “This was my second time running in Durban. I enjoy running here; the weather is good, everything is good. I am grateful to have run with so many women and feel that I have proven my mental and physical toughness. It’s great to race with other women and encourage each other. I want to thank the event organizers and Durban for hosting me. I hope to come back in 2025.”
Ethiopia’s Selam Gebre came in second in 32:01, with Lesotho’s Neheng Khatala rounding off the podium in 32:03, a mere 2 seconds shy of the Lesotho National Record.
Cacisile Sosibo was the first South African to cross the finish line, securing 6th place with a time of 33:27. Tayla Kavanagh followed in 7th place, and Jenet Mbhele finished in 8th.
"Durban provided the perfect backdrop for the first Totalsports Women’s Race of 2024,” says Michael Meyer, Managing Director of Stillwater Sports. “The Elite Women’s 10km race featured a strong field of top contenders, both local and international. It was fantastic to see these elite athletes go head-to-head in a women-only race. Congratulations to Christine Njoki on claiming gold among such fierce competition. Watching the elite race in action is truly inspiring. However, the event wasn’t just for the elites; participants from all walks of life came together to celebrate women and support PinkDrive. We had a wonderful day in Durban celebrating elite performances, friendship, family, health, and, most importantly, women.”
"Durban was alive with energy today as we welcomed thousands of runners and walkers to the 2024 Totalsports Women's Race, the first event in a series of three,” says Nikki Crous, Head of Marketing at Totalsports. “The event celebrated women and supported PinkDrive, creating an inspiring and electric atmosphere. It was a remarkable day and a great start to the series, and amazing to see the streets of Durban in a sea of PINK! We can’t wait to bring this energy to Cape Town on 9 August and invite all runners and walkers to #LoveTheRun with us.”
NEXT UP: 2024 Totalsports Women’s Race
ENTER: www.totalsportswomensrace.co.za, www.webtickets.co.za or any Pick ‘n Pay store nationwide.
CHARITY SUPPORT: The Totalsports Women’s Race proudly supports PinkDrive. When registering online for the event, runners have the option to support PinkDrive by donating to the cause. PinkDrive will offer free clinical breast examinations in each city, along with the opportunity to consult with a PinkDrive nurse for general medical advice. Runners can also visit PinkDrive’s “Shop4Cancer” at each event, where they can deck themselves out in pink gear to show their support for this worthy cause and run with pride. For more information on PinkDrive visit www.pinkdrive.org
IMPRESSIVE PRIZE PURSE: The Totalsports Women’s Race boasts an impressive, combined prize purse of R 412,500.00 in 2024. With the race now spanning three separate days in three different cities (Durban, Cape Town and Johannesburg), the level of action and excitement will be higher than ever. The prize purse will be split evenly between each of the three races, with each race being allocated a total of R137,500.00. Prize money will be awarded to the top 10 finishers in the Open Category, with the winner receiving R30,000, the runner-up R20,000, and the 3rd place finisher R15,000. Additionally, prize money will also be allocated to the top 3 finishers in the following categories: Junior, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, and 70+.
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For more information on PinkDrive visit www.pinkdrive.org For further information on the Totalsports Women’s Race visit www.totalsportswomensrace.co.za
TOP 10 RESULTS: Totalsports Women’s Race Durban 2024
DATE: Sunday 04 August 2024
RESULTS: 10km
Start: Suncoast Casino, Durban
Finish: Suncoast Casino, Durban
1 Christine Njoki (KEN) 31:00,
2 Selam Gebre (Ethiopia) 32:01,
3 Neheng Khatala (Lesotho) 32:03,
4 Diniya Abaraya (Ethiopia) 32:46,
5 Marion Chepkoech (Kenya) 33:07,
6 Cacisile Sosibo (RSA) 33:27,
7 Tayla Kavanagh (RSA) 34:07,
8 Jenet Mbhele (RSA) 34:45,
9 Debash Desta (Ethiopia) 35:20,
10 Ntsoaki Molahloe (RSA) 35:52
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