Tshwane, Gauteng, South Africa: She hasn’t quite wrapped things up yet, but Ethiopian star Tadu Nare will be confident of securing her third straight SPAR Grand Prix series title when she lines up at the fifth leg of the country’s top women’s road running campaign in Tshwane on Saturday, 5 August.
There will still be one more race to run this season, at the final leg of the series in Johannesburg, but if she can pick up another bonus-point victory in Centurion this weekend, Nare (Nedbank Running Club) will take an unassailable lead at the top of the standings.
And considering her spectacular form, having won the last three races after skipping the first leg of the series, Nare will be difficult to beat.
She does, however, have to hold off a challenge from perhaps the strongest field of the 2023 campaign.
Current series leader, 20-year-old Ethiopian Selam Gebre (Nedbank), has already competed in four races this year, and with each athlete’s best four results counting towards points on the SPAR Grand Prix leaderboard, she will be eager to take a step up with a win after securing the runner-up spot in every race this season.
Also with four races already under her belt, leading South African Glenrose Xaba (Boxer) will be hoping to rake in more points with an improved performance, as will Lesotho’s Blandina Makatisi. Xaba and Makatisi are lying second and third overall respectively.
While she is currently placed eighth in the leaderboard, Cian Oldknow (Hollywood) will also be looking to climb the standings, having run only two races in the series thus far.
Though they are not prominent on the Grand Prix leaderboard, a few other athletes will be looking to put up a fight, making a rare appearance in this year’s SPAR Grand Prix.
Former series winners Irvette van Zyl and Rutendo Nyahora are included in the entry lists, along with their Hollywood Athletics Club teammate Neheng Khatala.
The fifth leg of the 2023 SPAR Grand Prix, which includes a 5km fun run and the 10km race, will start at 2pm at SuperSport Park, in Centurion, on Saturday.
ENDS.
2023 SPAR GRAND PRIX CALENDAR
Cape Town – Sunday, 23 April 2023 – Green Point Precinct
Gqeberha – Saturday, 27 May 2023 – Pollok Beach, Summerstrand
Durban – Sunday, 25 June 2023 – Kings Park Stadium
Mbombela – Saturday, 15 July 2023 – Mbombela Stadium
Tshwane – Saturday, 5 August 2023 – SuperSport Park
Joburg – Sunday, 1 October 2023 – Marks Park Sporting Club
SPAR GRAND PRIX WEBSITE: https://www.sparwomensrace.co.za
MEDIA INFORMATION HUB: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1×2-WF_ln7BSm08Uzf5Uxoe5K2DT67W9P?usp=drive_link
FREE TO USE PICTURES
Attached please find free to use pictures with captions below.
Tadu Nare3: : 2021 and 2022 SPAR Grand Prix champion, Tadu Nare (Nedbank) who won the second, third and fourth leg of the 2023 SPAR Grand Prix series 10km race has confirmed her entry into this Saturday’s series in Tshwane. Picture Credit: Reg Caldecott
Irvette van Zyl: The three-times SPAR Grand Prix champion, Irvette van Zyl (Hollywood) has confirmed her entry into this Saturday’s series in Tshwane. Picture Credit: Rogan Ward
Athletes: Top women road runners from South Africa and Africa expected to line up at the fifth leg of the 2023 SPAR Grand Prix series 10km race in Tshwane on Saturday, 5 August. Picture Credit: Rogan Ward
This media release was compiled and distributed by BLD Communications on behalf of the SPAR Grand Prix series. Media can contact Dineo Diphoko for further information on 083 300 8268 / dineo@thebldgroup.com.