Xaba first South African to win Spar race in five years in Cape Town

Finally, a South African has won the Spar Women’s Challenge race for the first time in five years.

Glenrose Xaba was the athlete to cross the line first in a time of 32min 17sec in the first installment of the 2024 Grand Prix in Cape Town on Sunday and in the process became the first South African to win since 2018. 

She was followed by Diniya Abaraya (32.24) and Getenesh Agafaw (33.02), both from Ethiopia. Incidentally, Xaba was the last South African to win a race when she took the Grand Prix in 2018. 

Xaba broke the monopoly of Tadu Nare and Salem Gebre from Ethiopia and Helalia Johannes from Namibia who have dominated the Grand Prix over the past half-decade where they have always shown the South Africans a clean pair of heels. 

Notably, Nare and Gebre, who have dominated the Grand Prix for three years, did not take part in the race at a chilly and overcast Greenpoint and it is not clear if they will be available for the remaining races. 

The top five was completed by South Africans in Cacisile Sosibo (33.06) and Kesa Molotsane (33.17)

Xaba, who recorded her first win in Cape Town in the Grand Prix, said the race went according to plan. 

“I am happy to win the race and I must also thank the ladies for pushing me all the way. It was a good race and the plan was to stay with the rest of the ladies from the beginning, which is what I did. 

“After 1km, I said to one of the ladies that we must push and help each other and she came to help me. I took the lead after 6km but she later passed me and that made her think she was finished but when we got to the corner around 9km I went past her to the finishing line.” 

Molotsane was happy to see a local win the race.

“We should really applaud South African athletes for coming to the party because this is what we have been preaching — that we must stand up against the internationals.

“It has been a while since we had a South African win a race in the Grand Prix and we must make sure we remain competitive for the rest of the season.”