As the most consistent performer in 2023, Precious Mashele is eagerly anticipating his second event of the 2024 series, the Absa Run Your City Cape Town 10km, on May 12.
Fresh from his bronze medal win in the 5 000m event at the Athletic SA Senior Track & Field Championships on Saturday, Mashele has confirmed his readiness to tackle the iconic 10km race in the Mother City.
“I’m happy with my bronze medal at the championships because the race was very tough,” said Mashele, who finished behind winner Adriaan Wildschutt and silver medalist Elroy Gelant at the Msunduzi Athletics Stadium in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal.
“I’m very happy with what I got. My fitness is coming around. Although I’m not where I want to be yet, I can say I’m at about 70% of where I should be.
“But I’ve got the momentum, and I think it’s only a matter of time before I get the shape I want.”
Competition from east Africans
Despite not being as fit as he would like to be yet, he still managed to claim a top-eight finish (13:46.19) in a hot and humid 5 000m final at the African Games in Ghana in March.
He followed that up with a third-place finish (28:19) during the Gqeberha 10km race earlier in April.
Running in the colours of Boxer Athletics Club, Mashele represented South Africa at the Tokyo Olympics and is confident that he can translate that track fitness into good results in a road-running series where he has claimed four podium finishes in his last five starts.
He believes he tends to perform well during the Run Your City series because the organisers invite world-class athletes who make it easier for him to run faster.
It is for this reason that he is excited to be part of the Cape Town event.
“When I run with east Africans, I run fast times, and I run away from the South Africans. So, for me, it’s a good opportunity to run with the east Africans.”
