Kenyan starlet Doreen Cherop targets repeat glory at Absa Run Your City Tshwane 10km

Doreen Cherop will be looking to follow up her breakthrough South African victory with another Absa Series triumph when she lines up for the Absa Run Your City Tshwane 10K on Sunday next week.

The 22-year-old Kenyan announced herself in dramatic fashion at the Absa Durban 10K last month, outpacing pre-race favourite Brenda Jepchirchir in the closing stages to win in a lifetime best 30:43.

Jepchirchir had led for much of the race while chasing a historic sub-30-minute time, but Cherop stuck to her own pace before making her move from around 7km. She eventually used her powerful finishing kick to overhaul her compatriot, who finished second in 30:52.

Cherop, who had targeted nothing more than a podium place, admitted afterwards that even she was surprised by the victory.

“I wasn’t expecting to win. I was just aiming for a podium finish, only to find myself in a winning position,” she said. “I think I won because I believed in my training.”

The Durban triumph was Cherop’s international 10km debut and provided valuable experience ahead of what promises to be another demanding test in Tshwane. She will arrive as one of the leading contenders, but remains cautious about taking on another world-class field, particularly on a course at altitude.

“It feels good to run with champions. I am still gaining more experience on how to run 10km. So I just want to run my own race and do my best,” Cherop said.

Stillwater Sports managing director Michael Meyer expects Cherop’s return to produce another exciting women’s contest.

“Doreen’s performance in Durban was a great introduction to the Absa Run Your City Series, and we’re excited to see what she can produce when she takes on the challenging Tshwane course,” said Meyer. “We’re expecting another exciting battle for the podium in Tshwane.”