SPAR Women’s Race Joburg to decide grand prix winners

EMMARENTIA – The result of the run at Marks Park on 7 October, as well as the decision made at an Athletics South Africa meeting about disqualifications, will determine who will win this year's SPAR Grand Prix.

The SPAR Women’s Race Joburg will prove crucial in determining who will win the 2018 SPAR Grand Prix.

Glenrose Xaba of Boxer Athletics Club leads the series with 87 points, five more than Rudo Mhonderwa (Nedbank) in second place.

However, the results from the series’ penultimate race in Pietermaritzburg are still unclear and may affect the standings even after the race at Marks Park, Emmarentia, on 7 October.

Irvette van Zyl (Nedbank) won the Pietermaritzburg race that saw four runners disqualified after accidentally taking the wrong route.

Xaba was one of these runners. With her were defending champion, Kesa Moletsane (KPMG), Neheng Khatala and Mamorella Tjoka.

Afterwards, KPMG lodged an appeal and a jury of appeal decided that the runners who followed the wrong route should be disqualified and that the race results would stand.

Following further appeals, KwaZulu Natal Athletics (KZNA) took a decision to alter the results, declaring Moletsane the winner, and relegating Van Zyl to fifth place.

However, Athletics South Africa (ASA) chief executive Richard Stander announced the KZNA decision was in dispute, and ASA would take a final decision at its council meeting on 13 October.

If the KZNA decision is upheld, Van Zyl and Rutendo Nyahora, who was third across the line in Pietermaritzburg, will lose points.

Nyahora is currently in third position on the SPAR Grand Prix ladder while Van Zyl is fifth. They would both drop several places while Moletsane would move up the ladder.

Van Zyl is the defending Joburg champion and will be hard to beat.

However, Xaba, Moletsane, Mhonderwa and Nyahora can be expected to give her some stiff competition and the Phalula twins, Lebo and Lebogang, can never be written off.

In the age group categories, there are two battles for first place on the SPAR Grand Prix ladder.

In the 50-59 group, KPMG teammates Grace de Oliviera and Judy Bird are tied on points and in the 60+ category, Margie Saunders is one point ahead of Blanche Moila.

Late entries are still available for the race can be registered at Marks Park Sports Club from 10am to 4pm Thursday to Saturday and on race day 6am to 7.30am.

Meanwhile, Caxton Local Media Joburg North is collecting running shoes to give to underprivileged children as part of the ‘drop off a pair and show you care’ campaign.

If you have new or pre-loved running shoes you are willing to donate, bring them during office hours to Caxton’s offices at 368 Jan Smuts Avenue, Craighall, or 1 187 Cornelius Street, Weltevvreden Park.

For a list of road closures that morning, click here