Meyer treats elite athletes like the superstars they are

IOL News

2 days ago

And so it is that the majority of the elites who participate in the RUN YOUR CITY SERIES do so per invitation. With the funding for the race – thanks to sponsors Absa and other partners, Meyer provides transport and accommodation for the athletes at all the five events – Gqeberha, Cape Town, Durban, Pretoria and Johannesburg – as well as paying them appearance fees.
It is how it must be. These, after all, are the men and women who make the races what they are – the broadcasters and the sponsors partner with the races because of them. They are the draw cards, and Meyer understands the importance of taking care of them.
Unlike those renowned ultra races, which expect the elites to pay for entry fees and find their way to the events and accommodate themselves, Meyer takes care of the athletes in ways that leave them needing only to worry about their performances on race day.
Michael Meyer – a former runner and the Managing Director of Stillwater Sports – is quietly revolutionising running in the country through the 10km Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series which he founded.
But in the much shorter distance, a man with a passion for running is giving elites the kind of treatment they are worthy of.
Elite runners who compete in the renowned Comrades, Two Oceans as well as the Om Die Dam, Loskop and Mangosuthu ultra marathons are treated no differently from the social runners – save for the seeding perhaps. It is the same in most of the renowned standard marathons.
In a country where ultra running is supposedly king, isn't it ironic that it is in the much shorter distances where the elite athletes are treated with respect and receive the recognition they duly deserve?
Athletes that are well taken care of can only want to perform at their optimum best.
And there too, there are huge incentives that help ensure they run fantastic times.
The RUN YOUR CITY SERIES boasts an unprecedented 'SA Athlete Prize Incentive Programme', which offers bonuses for exceptional performances. In the men's category, bonuses will start for times faster than 28 minutes, with a substantial R200,000 bonus offered to an athlete breaking the 27-minute barrier.
For the women, bonuses begin for times faster than 32:08 minutes, with an impressive R200,000 incentive for breaking the 30:23 mark. To further raise the stakes, a bonus of R50 000.00 will be awarded to the South African athlete who breaks the SA 10km record (at the time of the race).
Glenrose Xaba explained just why the incentives are strong motivators.
'The incentives are very important to me because they're directly linked to performance times, because the better my time, the better my chances of competing internationally. said Xaba.
"These incentives motivate me to stay at the top because the rewards are tangible. Breaking my own record would be a dream come true — I'd be the happiest woman alive."
Here's what Meyer says about the programme.
'While our focus will always be on ensuring every runner — from first to last — enjoys the same high-quality experience, we also recognise the importance of attracting the world's best athletes and nurturing local talent. To achieve that, we've built a comprehensive and meaningful Elite Athlete Programme," said Meyer.
"Although the total prize money for the 2025 Absa RUN YOUR CITY SERIES is just over R1.6 million, we're investing over R4.5 million annually into the overall elite programme. That includes supporting top-tier athletes from around the world — who have many racing options — by offering them a world-class racing experience here in South Africa.
"It also means ensuring a larger group of South African elites can participate, flying them in, accommodating them, and in the case of top performers, offering appearance fees. Very few events in South Africa offer a true 'Elite Athlete Programme' like this, and it's a key area where we allocate significant resources.
'When a record is broken at one of our races, it doesn't just make local headlines — it attracts global attention. That's what we're aiming for: to marry the excellence of African athletes with the excellence of our cities. That remains our long-term vision, while continuing to invest in development and the broader running community.'
The next race in the Absa RUN YOUR CITY SERIES is the Durban10km which takes place next Sunday. And with the legendary Stephen Mokoka out to break the world Masters record for runners aged between 40 and 49, Stillwater Sports have moved to spur the multiple Olympian on.
'When Stephen Mokoka shared his goal of breaking the record with us, we knew we wanted to support him in a meaningful way,' Meyer said.
'Stephen has been a strong supporter of the Absa RUN YOUR CITY SERIES since its inaugural event in 2015. The R100,000 incentive is our way of showing appreciation, while recognising both his ambition and his remarkable contribution to South African road running.
"It would be an honour to celebrate such a monumental achievement with Stephen right here in Durban at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K.'
Meyer has invited Comrades Marathon champion Tete Dijana to the race and has taken care of his basic needs better than the world famous ultra ever would.