Xaba clinches SPAR Grand Prix in style

Glenrose Xaba wrapped up the SPAR Grand Prix with a resounding performance. Not only did Xaba win the Joburg leg of the popular 10km series in 32:48 ahead of the Ethiopian duo Tadu Nare (34:00) and Diniya Kedir Abaraya (34:14), she also became the first South African to win the coveted overall Grand Prix title since 2018. Her 2024 Grand Prix title was confirmed after her impressive win in the Tshwane leg of the competition in August. The 29-year-old has been dominant this season, winning four of the six races in the SPAR Women;s Challenge series, Cape Town and Gqeberha are the other race that she won.

Lining up at the start in Emmerentia for the final SPAR Women's 10km race of the year, SuperCharger broke away from Nare at the sixth kilometre and held on to that lead all the way to the finish to win both the race and the overall SPAR Grand Prix title that she last won in 2018 before international athletes were allowed to compete in 2019. Having also broken the SA 10km record in July, Xaba came into this race on a high and says she was confident that she would do well in the last leg of the competition.

Xaba is the first South African to win the coveted SPAR Grand Prix title since she won it in 2018. Photo Credit: Reg Caldecott.

"I was relaxed today because I have been training and I didn’t race that much. I skipped the HOLLYWOODBETS DURBAN 10KM last week because I wanted to focus on training as I am on a marathon training programme. I kept my focus on the Grand Prix and the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon. I was relaxed today, the pace was good and fast. Joburg is very tough. It has a lot of hills, when you come to Marks Park or Newtown you must know that you are going to run on hills. But I am glad I was able to finish the Grand Prix on a high note," she said.

Xaba admits that she had tough opponents even though she did well in all six races. "The competition is very good. You need to come to the race prepared that the race is going to be fast. You need to know which strategy you are going to use, the international runners help us improve because some of us (SA athletes) don’t have opportunities to race overseas," she explained.

Xaba, Nare (left) and Abaraya (right) not only finished as the top three at the SPAR Women's Challenge Jozi, but also as the top three in the overall GRAND PRIX standings. Photo Credit: Reg Caldecott.

The reigning SA 10km and 21km champion will wrap up her season with the Boxer Super Run in Durban on 13 October before making her much anticipated 42,2km debut at the Cape Town Marathon on 20 October. Xaba says she will not be pressuring herself to break any record.

"I am just going there to enjoy myself and if a record comes, I will appreciate it and be grateful because it would show me that I have the potential in doing well in

marathons."