'I wanted to challenge myself' - Xaba’s three race weekend winning streak sets the tone for Absa GQEBERHA 10K
South Africa’s 10km national record holder, Glenrose Xaba—who set the mark at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K in 2024—reinforced her dominance as the country’s leading female long-distance runner with a commanding performance over the weekend (14–15 March). Also the national marathon record holder (2:22:22), Xaba secured an impressive distance double at the Athletics Gauteng North Championships, sending a strong signal of her form just one month before lining up for the Absa RUN YOUR CITY GQEBERHA 10K on Sunday, 13 April 2025.
Xaba clocked 31:56.65 to win the 10 000m on Saturday 14 March and followed that up with victory over 5000m in 15:20.00 the following day. Although she had been expected to win both events comfortably, the Boxer Athletics Club top runner nevertheless gave it everything as she produced the second fastest 10 000m time of her career.
“It was okay. It helped me to see how far my progress is in terms of my training and fitness,” Xaba explained when asked about her solo run against the clock. “I wanted to challenge myself by running against the time and I feel blessed to be injury free.”
Having followed up that magnificent double by proving her fitness with a dominant win over a challenging 10km course at the Motsepe Foundation Race for Gender Equality on Sunday, 16 March, Xaba has set the stage for her next big test. Xaba now turns her attentions to the Absa RUN YOUR CITY SERIES. Armed with the 31:12 national 10km record run at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K last July, her entire team led by coaches Violet and Caster Semenya, is confident of a good showing in ‘The Friendly City’.
“The course is fair enough. All we wish for is good weather on the day of the race. I don't want to put pressure on myself. My first target is to run an injury free and smooth race and then time will come by itself. I am going to run my own race and stay focused,” confirms Xaba.
Also looking eagerly ahead to his first Absa RUN YOUR CITY SERIES race of 2025 is Nadeel Wildschutt. The holder of a 28:07 lifetime best produced during the now famous 2024 Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K where a slew of records tumbled, Wildschutt is dead set on breaking the 28 minute barrier for the first time in what will be his Absa RUN YOUR CITY GQEBERHA 10K debut. Adding extra spice to the race is that the reigning SA 10 000m champion will take on his brother Adriaan Wildschutt who will chase the SA 10km record of 27:35 that was set by Precious Mashele at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY GQEBERHA 10K in 2023.
“I'm happy to say that I'll run the Absa RUN YOUR CITY GQEBERHA 10K this year. It's a change of mind to what I had originally planned at the start of the year,” explained Wildschutt who produced a personal best 7:54 behind Olympian Tshepo Tshite over 3000m at the opening of the star-studded Höerskool Stellenbosch track on 5 March. “I would say my brother persuaded me to run the race. Another thing that made me opt to run in Gqeberha is the quality field of athletes on the day. Adriaan, Elroy (Gelant), Kabelo (Mulaudzi) and Precious (Mashele) are all great runners and they are fast. If you want to be the best you have to compete with the best. I think this field will push me towards my goals of being one of the best runners in the country.”
“We are excited to see Glenrose Xaba in such outstanding form, delivering fantastic performances as she builds towards the Absa RUN YOUR CITY GQEBERHA 10K. We can’t wait to see her take on the competition in April. We’re also excited to welcome Nadeel Wildschutt, making his Gqeberha debut, adding to what is already shaping up to be a world-class field. Having athletes of this calibre racing on home soil is something we take great pride in, and we look forward to an action-packed race— the perfect way to kick off the 2025 Absa RUN YOUR CITY SERIES season,” says Michael Meyer, Managing Director of Stillwater Sports and Founder of the Absa RUN YOUR CITY SERIES.
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