Xaba in pole position for Spar Grand Prix

Glenrose Xaba appears to be in pole position to claim her third Spar Women’s 10km Challenge Grand Prix title, after winning the Tshwane Challenge at SuperSport Park at the weekend.

Xaba (Boxer) has won the first three races with maximum bonus points in Durban and Tshwane and five bonus points in Cape Town. She has a total of 85 points.

Hot on her heels is the Ethiopian runner, Selam Gebre (Nedbank), who has 80 points. Gebre also earned maximum bonus points in Durban and Tshwane, and five bonus points in Cape Town.

Xaba and Gebre are way ahead of their nearest rivals, but a real battle for the minor positions in developing between rising Tuks star, Karabo Mailula, who has 60 points, and Gebre’s teammate and fellow Ethiopian, Diniya Abaraya, who has 58. Their nearest rival is Cacisile Sosibo (Boxer), with 53 points.

If she maintains her lead until after the Jozi Challenge in October, Xaba stands to win R200 000. She will also win an additional R100 000 for being the top South African on the Spar Grand Prix ladder. The runner who finishes second after the five races will take home R100 000 and the third-placed runner will win R75 000.

Xaba was the last South African to win the Spar Grand Prix before it was opened to international athletes in 2019. In 2024, she became the first South African to win the title, if she retains her title this year, she will become the third South African and the first black South African, to win the title three times.

Xaba said after the Tshwane race that the introduction of international athletes has been good for the Spar Grand Prix.

“They are pushing us to run faster and to become more competitive internationally. I hope that my success will encourage young girls and young boys, I want them to look at me and think, ‘if she can do it, so can I.’ “

With 20 points. Including 10 bonus points in Tshwane, Wiepke Schoeman (Boxer) has a massive lead in the junior section over her teammates Taya Pelser and Chanel Groenewald. Pelser has nine points and Groenewald 8.

PHALULA LEADING THE WAY

Although she scored no points in Tshwane, Lebo Phalula (Boxer), with 20 points, has an 11-point lead over her nearest rivals, the Russian Olga Firsova and Janie Grundlingh (Peak Performance), who have nine points each in the 40-49 category.

In the 50-59 category, Anne Stewart, (Atlantic) has 23 points. Her nearest rival is Boxer runner Elizabeth Potter, with 20 points. This age group is highly popular and competitive with Stewart having run all three of this year’s races and Potter one less having missed the Cape Town race.

With maximum bonus points in each race, Judy Bird (Boxer) dominates the Sixty Plus category. She has 30 points and has won all the Grand Prix races so far this year. Her nearest rival is former Comrades Marathon gold medalist, Grace de Oliveira (Maxed Elite), who has 20 points.

The next race takes place in Gqeberha on 27 September and the final race in the Spar Grand Prix series is in Johannesburg on 5 October.