ATHLETICS MEDIA RELEASE
WEDNESDAY, 7 AUGUST 2024
SPAR GRAND PRIX STILL WIDE OPEN
Tshwane, South Africa: The SPAR Grand Prix is still wide open, after the completion of three of the five races in the SPAR Women’s 10km Challenge series.
Glenrose Xaba’s stellar performance in the Tshwane race at SuperSport Park on Saturday, where she beat Ethiopian Tadu Nare (Nedbank) by a full two minutes, has given the Boxer runner a 31-point cushion on the SPAR Grand Prix ladder. Xaba, who finished the race in 32:53 minutes, was the only senior runner to earn maximum bonus points for finishing the race in the pre-determined target time. She now has 89 points, having earned full bonus points in all three races so far. She won the race in Cape Town and finished a very close second to Nare in Durban.
Cacisile Sosibo (Boxer), who came third on Saturday, is second on the log, with 58 points. Sosibo finished fourth in Cape Town and seventh in Durban and earned five bonus points in Cape Town and Tshwane.
The bonus points are having a major influence on the outcome of the SPAR Grand Prix this year. Three times SPAR Grand Prix winner Nare missed the Cape Town leg of the series. She won in Durban, with 10 bonus points, but although she was second to Xaba in Tshwane, she only earned five bonus points. She is currently in fourth position, with 54 points – one behind her compatriot Diniya Abaraya, who came second to Xaba in Cape Town.
Abaraya finished fifth in Durban but earned full bonus points in both races. She missed the race on Saturday.
The final SPAR Grand Prix points will come from four of the five races in Cape Town, Durban, Tshwane, Gqeberha and Johannesburg, with the athlete’s top four results counting. This provision was introduced so that runners were not disadvantaged if they had to miss a race because of injury or because they were representing their country internationally. With two races to go, Nare still has an opportunity to overtake the current leader, provided she earns maximum bonus points.
However, Xaba, who was the last South African to win the SPAR Grand Prix title has made it clear that she is determined to win again.
“I am very focused, and I want to win the SPAR Grand Prix. I won it in 2018 and I know I can win it again,” Xaba said after her victory in 2018.
In 2019, international athletes became eligible to win the SPAR Grand Prix, which meant more international runners decided to compete for the very generous prize money. Namibian Helalia Johannes won in 2019, and Nare won in 2021, 2022 and 2023. There was no series in 2020, because of Covid 19 pandemic.
The winner of this year’s SPAR Grand Prix will receive R200,000. The runner-up will receive R100,000 and the person coming third will earn R75,000.
On top of the prize money on offer the first South African on the year end leader board will receive a bonus cheque of R75,000 plus a drive a luxury Proton X50 SUV for a calendar year.
ENDS.
FREE TO USE PICTURES
Please see attached free to use pictures with caption below.
Glenrose Xaba: South African Glenrose Xaba (Boxer) is the front runner on the SPAR Grand Prix leader board after three of five races in the 10km series. Xaba who won the Cape Town and Tshwane races leads fellow South African Cacisile Sosibo (Boxer), who is in second placed, by 31 points. Photo Credit: Reg Caldecott
Glenrose and Tadu: Glenrose Xaba (Boxer) of South Africa leads 2023 SPAR Grand Prix Champion Tadu Nare (Nedbank) during the Durban leg of the 2024 SPAR Grand Prix 10km Series. Xaba after winning the Tshwane race on Saturday is top of the series leader board with two races (Gqeberha and Johannesburg) left in the series. Photo Credit: Darren Stewart / Gallo Images
Cacisile Sosibo: Cacisile Sosibo (Boxer) is one of the most consistent athletes in this year’s SPAR Grand Prix 10km series. After the Tshwane race on Saturday, where Sosibo finished third, Sosibo finds herself in second place on the Grand Prix leader board behind front runner Glenrose Xaba (Boxer). Photo Credit: Reg Caldecott
Tadu Nare: Ethiopian Tadu Nare (Nedbank) the defending SPAR Grand Prix 10km series champion is positioned fourth on the series leader board after three of the five races. Nare who missed the series opening race in Cape Town, won the Durban race and finished second on Saturday in the Tshwane race. Photo Credit: Reg Caldecott
