Zenzile Pheko (second right) clocked an impressive time of 28:55 in finishing second at the Absa Run Your City Tshwane 10K last month, and is eyeing another podium finish in the Joburg leg of the series.
Zenzile Pheko’s rapid rise has gathered serious momentum, with the newly crowned national cross-country champion now setting his sights on another Absa Run Your City Series podium in Johannesburg on Heritage Day.
The 21-year-old Boxer Athletics Club runner has enjoyed a remarkable turnaround over the past few weeks, bouncing back from a back injury to secure his first Absa Series podium before claiming his maiden senior national cross-country title.
Pheko produced the finest performance of his Absa Series career in Tshwane on 23 August, finishing second in 28:55 behind Kenya’s Salem Kibet. It was a major breakthrough after settling for fifth on his series debut in Gqeberha and finishing 21st in Durban, where his preparations were severely disrupted by back trouble.
“It was a big moment for me,” Pheko said. “It was the first time I was on the podium in the Absa Run Your City Series. Before that, my best performance was fifth on my debut in Gqeberha earlier this year, then 21st in Durban. In Pretoria, I was so happy because it’s something I had never achieved before.”
