Local runner grabs gold at SPAR 10km Women’s Challenge

Glenrose Xaba clinched the SPAR Grand Prix title on October 6 with an emphatic win in the Johannesburg SPAR 10km Women’s Challenge with a time of 32:48.

It was her fourth SPAR Women’s Challenge series win this year.

Three-time SPAR Grand Prix winner Tadu Nare was second in 34:00, and her Ethiopian teammate, Diniya Abaraya, was third in 34:14.

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Xaba, Nare and Abaraya ran together for the first 6km, but then Xaba surged ahead and ran alone for the rest of the race.

Xaba, who won the title in 2018, became the first South African to win the SPAR Grand Prix title after the admission of international runners in 2019.

“I am happy to have won the SPAR Grand Prix again. I made many sacrifices to win, including not trying to qualify for the Olympic Games.

“My coaches, Caster and Violet Semenya, persuaded me there was a bigger picture,” said Xaba.

She said it was a tough race, with several difficult hills.

“I knew it would be a fast race today. The competition has been good.”

Nare said she had done her best throughout the year and was happy with her performance.

“Glenrose has been a tremendous athlete from the get-go and has just been getting stronger and stronger. I am so pleased for her because she put in the hard work.”

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Abaraya, who has won the junior category of the SPAR Grand Prix, said this year was one of the best and most challenging of her life.

“I have learnt so much from Tadu and Glenrose, who helped me to be competitive. But I still have much to learn and a long way to go.”

Multiple ultra-marathon winner Gerda Steyn, who finished sixth, said she had loved running the SPAR Women’s Challenge races.

“I am so excited to see how standards have improved. In 2018, I finished second in the Jozi SPAR Women’s Challenge in a time that was slower than my time today.

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“I think the addition of the international runners has helped to push the South Africans. I am also very excited about the talent coming through,” said Steyn.

Xaba’s coach, double Olympic gold medallist Caster Semenya, praised Xaba for her hard work and dedication.

“She’s determined, disciplined and willing to take instruction. I expect big things of her in the future,” said Caster.

Xaba will run the Cape Town Marathon on October 19, with many expecting her to break the national record. She says she has no expectations but plans to enjoy her first marathon.