Glenrose Xaba was the talk of the town when she won the Athletics South Africa 10k Championships in a time of 32:07 to defend her title at the Mbombela Stadium in Mpumalanga on Sunday, 4 November, 2023.
This win sees Xaba bag her her third national title of the year.
She held off a challenge from in-form athlete Cacisile Sosibo, who grabbed silver for Central Gauteng Athletics (CGA) in 32mins 47secs, while national cross country champion Karabo Mailula (AGN) secured bronze in 34mins 12secs.
Just last month the Athletics Gauteng North athlete set a record time in the inaugural 5km Boxer Super Run in Durban where she ran in a time of 16:03. Xaba and fellow Precious Mashele became the fastest South Africans to complete a 5km run on home soil.
“I did not have a good race at the World Champs, so today I came to do my best and aim to run the SA record. I managed to keep my pace well, so I feel very happy. Thanks to the ladies, they ran an incredible race. Well done to Cacisile Sosibo, who performed very well. I’m very happy for her as she is one of the future stars,” Xaba said after race in an interview with the Rising Sun newspaper.
As the year comes to a close, Xaba can look back on what has a been a fruitful 2023. In June gsport reported on Xaba reaching her goal of setting a new Personal Best at the SA Half Marathon Championships.
Xaba also got a third place finishing at the SPAR Grand Prix 10km race the weekend before.
Reports from earlier this year suggest that it was only a matter of time before the long distance athlete started to dominate, and on her results this year, that seems to be coming true.
Her coach Violet Semenya was quoted as saying it won’t be long before Xaba is dominating her Ethiopian counterparts. “Soon enough the party [meaning the dominance by the Ethiopians in SA] will be over,’’ said Semenya.
“I see everything when she [Xaba] trains that she’s getting there. She’s getting confident enough and she’s believing in herself. I always tell athletes that if you don’t believe in yourself, no matter how coaches believe in you, it’s not going to work. She will dominate these races soon, Semenya told Sowetan Live in June.
Photo Caption: Glenrose Xaba has won her third title of the year, winning the Athletics South Africa 10k Championships race in a time of 32:07 to defend her title at the Mbombela Stadium in Mpumalanga on Sunday, 4 November, 2023. Photo Athletics SA on Facebook
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