Defending Spar Grand Prix champion Glenrose Xaba broke the course record to claim her first win of the 2026 series, powering to victory in the third leg of the campaign at SuperSport Park in Centurion, Tshwane on Saturday, 1 August 2026.
Xaba, who took second place at the opening leg in Cape Town and missed the second race in Durban due to international commitments, produced a dominant performance in the colours of Boxer Athletics Club.
Ethiopian athlete Selam Gebre of Nedbank Running Club stuck to her like a shadow through the first half of the 10km race, but Xaba slammed down the hammer shortly after the 5km mark and opened a massive gap to cross the finish line in 32:28, taking one second off the course record of 32:29 set by Namibian athlete Helalia Johannes in 2019.
Xaba ran negative splits with a storming finish, completing the second half 31 seconds faster than the first half.
“I’m training for the half-marathon at the World Road Running Championships, and the race went according to plan.”
2026 Spar Grand Prix Tshwane Champion, Glenrose Xaba
Behind Xaba, Gebre held on to take second place in 34:10, and Kyla Jacobs of Boxer launched a powerful kick in the closing stages to claim third position in 34:21. Both athletes secured their second podium finishes of the series and picked up bonus points for dipping under 34:40.
While Gebre was pleased with her result, she admitted she had struggled with the high altitude, as well as the traditional late starting time of the Tshwane race, which was held in the afternoon.
“The race today was very tough and intense, if I’m honest. The start time was different to what we’re used to, and the elevation kind of caught up with me and I couldn’t breathe at certain points. So, it was tough, but I had to push myself as best I could and I’m glad I came second,” Gebre said.
Jacobs said she preferred the later start, and the Cape Town-based athlete was delighted with her performance. “It’s always great to be here for the Tshwane race because this is actually where my running career started, so I’m really proud and happy to be on the podium today,” Jacobs said.
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“It was a great race. I tried to run conservatively and was able to just pick the field up from the back, so I was happy with how I executed it.”
Among the other highlights of the women’s 10km race, which drew a sold out field of 18 000 entries, iconic athlete Blanche Moila of Savages Athletic Club completed her 100th Spar Women’s Challenge event.
Moila, a former national champion over a wide range of distances, took second position in the 70 and over age group in 58:16, becoming the fifth woman to run 100 Spar races.
Two former Comrades Marathon champions, Charné Bosman of Tuks Athletics Club and Frances van Blerk of Nedbank Running Club, won their age categories. Bosman triumphed in the 50 to 59 division in 40:42 and Van Blerk earned victory among the 70 and over athletes in 56:18.
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The other age group winners on the day were Mpho Katiso of Tshwane University of Technology, who won the under-20 race in 36:52, Este van Tonder of Nedbank, who won the 40 to 49 race in 39:00, and Judy Bird of Boxer, who won the 60 to 69 race in 44:23.
Zelda Botha of Run Walk for Life, who represented South Africa at the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships in Brasilia earlier this year, was the first walker to finish in 52:38.
Original Copy: BLD Communications, with editing by gsport
Main Photo Caption: Glenrose Xaba clocked a course record 32:28 over 10km to win the 2026 Spar Women’s Challenge Tshwane, the third leg of the Spar Grand Prix series, at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Saturday, 1 August 2026. All Photos: Supplied
Photo 2 Caption: Selam Gebre took second and Kyla Jacobs third behind Xaba at the Tshwane leg of the 2026 Spar Grand Prix series.
Photo 3 Caption: Training for the half-marathon at the World Road Running Champs this September, Xaba claimed her first title of the 2026 campaign in Tshwane.
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