Phalula appears set to win Grand Prix title

With only one race left in the Spar Women’s 10km Challenge series, Lebogang Phalula appears to have all but wrapped up the Grand Prix title.

Phalula has finished in the top three in all four races so far, coming third in Cape Town and Pretoria, second in Port Elizabeth and first in Durban, and her consistency has earned her a total of 75 points – 14 more than her nearest rival. 

Although Phalula could still be beaten, particularly if one of her rivals wins the Johannesburg race on October 11 in record time, she appears the likeliest candidate to take home a substantial cheque for R150 000.

Cornelia Joubert is in second position, with 61 points from four top ten finishes.

Rene Kalmer, who was lying in second position after the first three races, has dropped down to seventh place after failing to finish the Pretoria race because of a hip injury that has plagued her since the Vienna Marathon in April.

2013 Grand Prix winner Mapaseka Makhanya, who topped the log for the first two races, after winning in record time in Cape Town, has bounced back from fifth place to third, with 57 points, while Phalula’s twin sister,  the 2014 winner Diana-Lebo, has moved from seventh to fourth place, with 54 points, as a result of finishing second in Pretoria last Saturday.    

Christine Kalmer and Nolene Conrad are still neck and neck, although they have dropped from joint third to joint fifth place, with 53 points.

Irvette van Zyl is in ninth position on the log, with 30 points, but she did not run the Pretoria race on Saturday – she is expecting a baby in three weeks, and opted to jog the 5km Fun Run instead.

Nedbank, who were ousted from the top spot on the club ladder by Boxer last year, are comfortably in the lead with 302 points.  Boxer are in second place, with 282, followed by Transnet, with 96.