Comrades champion George Kusche plans to return to fast road races by participating in the Absa Run Your City Tshwane 10K on August 23rd. He is setting a goal to finish in under 30 minutes, competing against strong international participants such as Salem Kibet.
Kusche noted that running a fast 10-kilometer race is crucial for him because he trains as a marathon runner year-round and then transitions to specific training for Comrades in March.
Despite winning the grueling Comrades marathon in June, Kusche possesses strong track preparation, giving him every chance to fight for high places in Tshwane. This middle-distance specialist, who celebrated his 28th birthday last week, holds a personal record of 13:28 in the 5000 meters and a personal best of 28:56 in the 10k, set two years ago in Gqeberha, which he believes he can surpass.
Kusche added that if you want to become a good marathon runner, you must be able to run fast 10 kilometers. He hopes to achieve a strong result in the Absa Run Your City Tshwane 10K. He expressed a desire to run in under 30 minutes, which would be an excellent time at altitude, and eagerly awaits this challenge, feeling in good shape.
Although Kusche remains reserved about the 30-minute goal, the high level of competition at the event will push him to his limits. Last year, all ten men who finished in the top ten of this race finished faster than 30 minutes, despite the challenging high-altitude conditions.
Joining the high-caliber field is Kenyan favorite Salem Kibet, who intends to improve his personal record of 27:29, set at the Absa Run Your City Durban 10K last month. Kibet stated that his goal is to surpass his Durban results and contend for victory. He emphasized that second place in Durban was not easy, especially when running alongside the outstanding athlete Joshua Cheptegei. This experience gave him much knowledge, and he thanks God for the opportunity to compete in Tshwane to give his absolute best.
