Awards celebrate top female road runners

It was an evening of celebration with high-profile sports stars in beautiful evening dresses when South Africa’s top female road runners were honoured at the recent SPAR Grand Prix Awards.

Emperors Palace was the place to be after organisers finished calculating the points accumulated by runners at the six SPAR Women’s Challenge races in Port Elizabeth, Cape Town, Durban, Tshwane, Pietermaritzburg and Johannesburg.

The winner of the open category was never in doubt, with Namibian runner Helalia Johannes (Nedbank) winning all six races in record time.

She earned R185 000 for her efforts.

She was followed by Tadu Naru (Nedbank) and Kesa Molotsane (Murray and Roberts), leaving Nedbank Running Club the winners of the team event.

Last year’s winner, Glenrose Xaba (Boxer), finished sixth.

SPAR marketing director Mike Prentice opened proceedings by congratulating all the runners, adding that the opening of the grand prix’s prizes to international runners saw South Africans also up the ante in the 13th annual series.

“This is the only running series in South Africa totally committed to women runners,” he said.

“We gave away total prize money of R900 000 and saw 150 000 women participate across South Africa.”

Series coordinator Ian Laxton highlighted the fact that before the grand prix was officially running, SPAR had been holding races for women since 1990.

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“From the beginning this series has been a nursery of running talent in South Africa,” he said.

“It motivates and develops talent.

“This year foreign runners have changed the complexion of the race too.”

Laxton’s wife, Sonja (71), ran her 100th SPAR race at the Johannesburg event on October 6, where SPAR also presented her with a R15 000 donation to her chosen charity, Goldilocks and the Bear Foundation.

She received a life-time achievement award at the awards ceremony.

“I feel honoured and I thank SPAR for their R15 000,” she said.

She added that she and her husband planned to retire in Cape Town next year.

This would make attending some races easier for her and she still planned to visit for the Johannesburg and Tshwane races.

The award winners were:

• Juniors:

First: Tadu Naru (Nedbank)

Second: Tayla Kavanagh (Murray and Roberts)

Third: Chante Dixon (Murray and Roberts)

• Age 40 to 49:

First: Bulelwa Simae (Boxer)

Second: Janene Carey (Boxer)

Third: Charne Bosman (Murray and Roberts)

• Age 50 to 59:

First: Grace de Oliveira (Murray and Roberts)

Second: Judy Bird (Murray and Roberts)

Third: Maria Bendana (Morningside)

• Age 60-plus:

First: Olga Howard (Nedbank)

Second: Margie Saunders (Nedbank)

Third: Nancy Will (Pinelands)

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Contact the newsroom by emailing: Melissa Hart (Editor) germistoncitynews@caxton.co.za, Leigh Hodgson (News Editor) leighh@caxton.co.za or Ashley Kiley (Journalist) ashleyk@caxton.co.za.

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