In-form athlete Xaba excited but relaxed ahead of marathon debut

Glenrose Xaba is not putting any pressure on herself as she prepares to make her highly anticipated 42km debut at the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon next month.

Xaba again showed her superb form over the weekend, winning the Spar Grand Prix 10km race in Gqeberha in 31:22.

She was just 10 seconds outside the SA record (31:12) which she set at the Absa Run Your City race in Durban in July.

Running from the front in excellent conditions, Xaba shook off a strong field to extend her Grand Prix series lead, with 18-year-old Ethiopian athlete Diniya Abaraya finishing second in 31:33 and Tadu Nare taking third spot in 31:48, one week after winning the Mpumalanga Marathon.

Her latest victory added to a long list of wins picked up by Xaba this season, including the national 5,000m and 10,000m titles on the track and the SA 10km and 21km titles on the road.

Though it had been a long year for the 29-year-old athlete, Xaba was all set to make her maiden appearance over the classic 42km distance in the Mother City on 20 October.

“My long runs have gone well and I’ve been able to adjust in training,” Xaba said,

“I know it’s a big step for me but I’m very excited to try something new.”

Assessing her marathon potential

The field in Cape Town also includes Cian Oldknow, who set a personal best of 2:25:08 in February, and with a local battle on the cards, Gerda Steyn’s SA marathon record (2:24:03) might be in danger.

Xaba, however, insisted she was not concerned about challenging Steyn’s record in her first attempt at the marathon distance. Instead, she hoped to give herself an indication of whether it might be worth making a more permanent step up in distance.

“The national record is not my focus. If it comes, I will be happy to achieve that, but it’s not my focus,” she said.

“I want to try a marathon and see what time I will be able to achieve in future, and see if I’m strong in the marathon or if I need to focus on 10km and 21km.”