The 2022 Women’s 10km SPAR Grand Prix reaches a climax on Sunday with the running of the Cape Town leg of the six-race series.
Defending champion Tadu Nare (Nedbank) needs to do little more than show up to the race to confirm her victory and claim the prize money of R195 000. The 21-year-old Ethiopian has won four of the five races run so far, finishing second to Namibian Helalia Johannes (Nedbank) in the opening race in Gqeberha in May. Nare has a total of 149 points, having earned maximum bonus points in all the races so far.
Her compatriot and teammate, Selam Gebre, is in second position with 141 points. Gebre finished third in Gqeberha, Durban, Mbombela and Johannesburg and second in Tshwane. She also has an unbeatable lead in the Junior category, winning both races so far.
Johannes, the 2019 SPAR Grand Prix champion, is in third position, with 117 points. The Namibian appeared unstoppable in 2019, winning all six races in record time. She missed the 2021 series completely but appeared set to pick up where she left off when she won in Gqeberha. However, Nare had other ideas, beating Johannes into second place in Durban, Mbombela and Johannesburg. Johannes missed the Tshwane race in August because she was unable to get back from the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in time. She looks set to pick up the prize money in the senior category, having won four of the five races.
A number of South Africans will be aiming to be the first South African home on Sunday. Glenrose Xaba (Boxer), the 2018 SPAR Grand Prix winner, is in good form. She has come fourth in the three SPAR races she has run this year and will be hoping to maintain her record of beating her countrywomen.
Three-time SPAR Grand Prix champion Irvette van Zyl is the only South African to have achieved a podium position this year, when she came third in the race in Tshwane. However, she has been hampered by injury and missed the Johannesburg race because of an ankle injury.
A podium contender on Sunday could be inform Kyla Jacobs (Murray & Roberts) who was an impressive winner of the 10km Peace Run over the past weekend in Cape Town.
Other runners to look out for include Cacisile Sosibo (Boxer), and former title holders Kesa Molotsane (Murray & Roberts), Diana-Lebo and Lebogang Phalula (Boxer) and Mapaseka Makhanya (Nike).
The last two races were run over hilly routes, at altitude, but Cape Town takes the runners back to a flatter course at sea level and some fast times are expected on Sunday.
The SPAR Grand Prix is run under the auspices of Athletics South Africa and presenting sponsors are Superfine, Asics, Garmin and Modern Athlete.
Spectators will be welcome to give support to the continent’s top runners. The race starts on Sunday at 07h00. The race will be livestreamed starting at 06h30 on the SPAR Grand Prix Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/SPARGrandPrixSeries and fans can follow their favourite runners by using the SPORTSPLITS App.
Photo 1 Caption: Ethiopian runner Tadu Nare (Nedbank) is the favourite to win the 2022 SPAR Grand Prix Cape Town race to be run in the Greenpoint Precedent on Sunday, 23rd of October 2022. Photo: Carl Fourie
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