This archive report was first published on 15 October 2019.
On a windy Sunday in Durban, world-class athlete Sheila Chepkirui proved her status as a top contender by shattering the African all-comers' record in the FNB Durban 10K CITYSURFRUN, finishing in 30:55.
Published on October 15, 2019, Chepkirui's impressive performance marked her first road race in South Africa, where she moved to the front of the pack early on, dictating the pace alongside her Kenyan teammates Evaline Chirchir and Beatrice Mutai.
As the race progressed, Chepkirui made her presence felt, passing through the halfway mark in 15:26 and making a decisive move between Chirchir and Mutai just after seven kilometres. She threw in another surge at around 8.5km, leaving Mutai to fade, before edging ahead of Chirchir in the final 500 metres.
"I am really happy with my performance, especially the fast time, as this is my first road race in South Africa," Chepkirui said in a post-race interview.
