After showing the junior field a clean pair of heels at the Two Oceans half-marathon recently, teenage road-running sensation Abbie Mitchell will take on an elite field at the Absa Run Your City 10km in Gqeberha on Sunday.
The 18-year-old from Mandela University announced her arrival on the national scene in emphatic style when she stormed to the finish line at the University of Cape Town 11 minutes ahead of her closest challenger (Elge Coetzee from Phobians).
Although a touch short of her personal best, Mitchell held a pace of around four-and-a-half minutes per kilometre throughout on the up-and-down course to clock an impressive 1:34:39.
While the Madibaz runner has set herself several ambitious goals for the year, breaking the 90-minute barrier in the 21.1km and dipping under 40 minutes in the 10km tops her list.
Even if it was just over a minute off her personal best time, set at the Buffs half in East London earlier this season, she ranks her Two Oceans triumph as the highlight of her fledgling career.
“I was still really happy with it. The course was tough with several big hills, so it was rewarding,” she said.
Mitchell was inspired by the atmosphere around the course.
“It was my first Two Oceans half, and I loved it. There were so many supporters along the way.”
The course wound its way through well-known Cape Town suburbs such as Wynberg and Constantia and included the leg-breaking climb up Southern Cross Drive.
Mitchell’s strategy was simply to maintain the best pace she could, slowing down on the hills while taking time back on the downhills.
At a certain point in the mass-participation race she suspected that she was leading the junior field.
“I could see runners ahead of me, but no female juniors. That’s when I figured I might be in first.”
That reality only really sank in after she had crossed the finish line.
The first-year BCom student gravitated towards longer distances from early on, starting her journey with the 800m at school meetings.
“In high school [at Pearson], I moved up to the 1 500m and only began racing longer road distances such as the 10km and 21.1km at the start of 2024.”
With a statement performance behind her and clear goals for the future, Mitchell’s legs will no doubt do plenty more talking – starting with Run Your City this weekend – before she calls it quits one day.
Thereafter it is another shot at the half-marathon when she turns out for the Madibaz at the University Sports South Africa competition, held in conjunction with the Wally Hayward Marathon in Pretoria on May 1.