Defending series champion Glenrose Xaba had to dig deep on Sunday morning 30 March, but she managed to hold off a challenge from Ethiopia’s
Selam Gebre to win the opening leg of the 2025 SPAR Grand Prix in Green Point.
Following overnight rain the skies cleared just before the start of the 10 km contest, offering near-perfect conditions for the elite field aside from a bit of wind.
Pushing the pace hard at the start, Xaba (Boxer Athletics Club) pulled two athletes with her in the early stages – Gebre and another Ethiopian, Meseret Fita (both representing Nedbank Running Club) – as they opened a gap on a larger chasing group.
Approaching halfway, however, 41-year-old Lebo Phalula (Boxer) put in an incredible surge to drag some of the chase group with her as they closed the gap on the leaders.
The pace eventually took its toll, and the athletes dropped off one by one until only Gebre was left hanging on to Xaba’s shoulder in the closing stages.
Having led from the gun, Xaba kicked with less than a kilometre to go and finally managed to shake off Gebre as she drew clear for a hard-fought win in 33:13.
Gebre finished five seconds off the pace in 33:18, while Xaba’s training partner Karabo Mailula (Tuks Athletics) stepped on the podium at a SPAR Grand Prix race for the first time in her career, crossing the finish line in third place in 33:35. Phalula finished in an impressive fifth position behind fourth placed Cacisile Sosibo (Boxer).
Russian born Australian Ola Firsova, who now lives in Stellenbosch, finished eighth.
The race, which attracted a massive field of 16 000 participants, started 30 minutes late.
Xaba admitted the late start had affected her performance, but she was pleased to have opened the defence of her series title with a victory.
“I’m happy with the race but I’m a little disappointed with my time,” she said.
Xaba holds the South African 10 km record of 31:12. “We stood too long at the start and my muscles were stiff and my body didn’t respond very well, but I’m glad I was able to run a good race and stay focused until the end.”
Gebre was also satisfied with her result, just two weeks after she finished second at the Rome Marathon in Italy in 2:28:22.