Register for the SPAR women’s race

RUNNERS from around KZN and South Africa are descending on Durban for the upcoming SPAR Women’s 10/5km race taking place this Sunday (24 August). Race registration opens up this Thursday at Suncoast SunZone from 10am until 5pm, with the same hours on Friday (22 August). On Saturday (23 August) the hours for the race registration is from 10am to 3pm.

More than 10,000 athletes have entered online for the running of this years’ event. Included in this field are the elite runners who are all jostling for the log’s top position in the SPAR Grand Prix race. The SPAR Grand Prix is an accumulation of results from all of the SPAR races from around the country. The winner walks away with a Nissan Micra. Leading the log with two successive wins is barefoot runner, Diana Lebo Phalula.

She meets in-form Olympic Marathon runner, Irvette Van Zyl who has won the Durban race twice this decade and ran a sublime personal best of 32.20 in Stellenbosch at the 10km Totalsports Ladies Race two weekends ago. Van Zyl is returning from injury, she won the SPAR Durban race in 2010 and 2011 and is looking like the runner who will be leading the pack.

Gunning for top place will be Van Zyl’s fellow Olympic teammate, Rene Kalmer who said when the race launched, “I love the Durban SPAR race; the route is flat and fast, so you can truly test yourself and aim for a personal best time. You are guaranteed good weather and the support is amazing!”

Joining the Olympians at the start line are defending champion Mapaseka Makhanya, who is lying in second place on the grand prix log, along with fourth placed Nolene Conrad, Rene’s sister Christine in fifth and sixth placed Diana’s sister Lebogang.

Top local athlete, Jenna Challenor will be back having been unable to defend her title in the last SPAR race in June in Pietermaritzburg due to injury. Challenor is also in-form having clocked in a personal best in Stellenbosch two weekends ago with a 34.26.

For more info visit www.sparwomensrace.co.za