Nare clinches second SPAR Grand Prix title

Ethiopian Tadu Nare (Nedbank) has plenty to celebrate after clinching her second successive SPAR Grand Prix Women’s 10km title with her victory in the final race in Cape Town on Sunday.

Nare won the race in fine style and finished the six-race series with a total of 179 points. She won five races in a row after finishing second to 2019 titleholder Helalia Johannes in Gqeberha in May. She received maximum bonus points for beating the target finishing times in all six races.

Nare received R190 000 for clinching the title. Adding in the generous prize money available in each individual race, she collected more than R350 000 from the SPAR races this year, which made the effort of commuting back and forth to Ethiopia worthwhile.

After her victory in 2021, Nare said she would use the money to start building a house, adding that her earnings in 2022 would allow her to complete it. “I've also bought some land as an investment. I am very grateful to SPAR and to Nedbank for making it possible for me to build this house and to invest in my future,” she said.

Looking towards 2023, she said she hopes to be able to defend her title but this would depend on her international commitments.

Nare will take part in the Valencia Marathon in Spain on December 4 and is hoping to repeat her success in her maiden marathon in Barcelona in 2021, which she won in 2:23:53.

Compatriot and teammate Selam Gebre finished second on the SPAR Grand Prix ladder with a total of 170 points. She finished third in four races and second in Tshwane and Cape Town. Gebre also wrapped up the junior title with a total of 30 points from the three races that are included in the Junior section of the SPAR Grand Prix.

The 2019 SPAR Grand Prix winner, Helalia Johannes, came third with 145 points. She won the opening race in Gqeberha and finished second in Durban, Mbombela and Johannesburg. She missed the Tshwane race because of Commonwealth Games commitments and came third in Cape Town. She also won the 40-49 year category in the Grand Prix with 50 points. Janie Grundling (Murray & Roberts) was second with 40 points, followed by former Comrades winner, Charne Bosman (Murray & Roberts), with 31.

Kesa Molotsane, the 2017 SPAR Grand Prix winner, secured fourth place on the log with 132 points. She was eighth in Gqeberha, fifth in Durban, Mbombela and Tshwane, seventh in Johannesburg and fourth in Cape Town.

Cacisile Sosibo (Boxer) was fifth on the log, with 110 points, two ahead of Caroline Mhandu (Maxed Elite).

Two former SPAR Grand Prix winners, Irvette van Zyl (Nedbank) and Glenrose Xaba (Boxer) were joint seventh with 98 points each. They both missed two of the six races.

Marili Munnik (Murray & Roberts) won the 50-59 age category followed by Ronel Thomas (Boxer) and Janene Carey (Murray & Roberts).

Judy Bird (Murray and Roberts) was once again the top runner in the 60+ category, followed by teammates Karen Brough and Grace de Oliveira.

Nedbank won the club competition with 757 points followed by Murray & Roberts with 692 and Boxer with 442.

No South African has won the SPAR Grand Prix since Glenrose Xaba took the win in 2018 and this year Irvette van Zyl was the only South African to get onto the podium with her third place in Tshwane. Even so, local runners are adamant that the presence of the international athletes is good for South African runners.

To be more competitive internationally, Molotsane believes that South African athletes need more support. “We need to have training camps, maybe on a regional basis and we have to work together to improve the standards of running,” she said.

“We also need medical, nutritional and coaching support. The Ethiopians and the Kenyans always work together and we need to do that too,” said Molotsane.

Former cross country and track star Zola Budd-Pieterse, who competed in the Cape Town SPAR Grand Prix race, said she was impressed by the depth of talent in South Africa.

“There is also a very strong club structure in this country and that is good for our runners,” she said.