The Spar Women’s 10km Challenge at Pollok Beach in Gqeberha on Sunday could be a turning point in the battle for top honours in this year’s Spar Grand Prix.
Glenrose Xaba dominated the Spar Grand Prix in the past two years, winning each of the five Spar Challenge races run at venues around the country. In 2025, she became the first black South African to win the series three times.
But Xaba’s dominance has been challenged this year, and the final outcome of the Spar Grand Prix is unlikely to be known until the last race has been run in Johannesburg in October.
The current leader is Xaba’s teammate, Cacisile Sosibo, who has 80 points, after finishing fifth in Cape Town and fourth in Durban and Tshwane.
Tayla Kavanagh is in second position with 60 points, after winning, with maximum bonus points, in Cape Town and Durban. She missed the Tshwane race because she was taking part in the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
Xaba is one point behind Kavanagh, with 59 points. She was second in Cape Town and won the race in Tshwane but missed the Durban race because of international commitments.
All the top South African runners were in Copenhagen, Denmark last weekend, taking part in different events in the World Road Running Championships. Kavanagh opted to stay in Europe and compete in the European athletics season, but Sosibo and Xaba will be running on Sunday.
FORMIDABLE CHALLENGE
Other challengers include Ethiopian runner Selam Gebre, who is one point behind Xaba, and Boxer runners Kyla Jacobs, Karabo Mailula, Karabo More, Xanthe Taljaard and three-time Spar Grand Prix winner Irvette van Zyl of the Hollywood RC stable.
Xaba, looking to secure her fourth Spar Grand Prix title, said she was looking forward to the race.
“I’m ready for Gqeberha and I’m looking forward to enjoying every kilometre,” she said.
“My preparations have gone well, because I have also been preparing for the World Championships.”