South African national record holder Glenrose Xaba is gearing up for her fourth race of the month.
She is preparing to compete in the highly anticipated Absa Run Your City Tshwane 10km edition on Sunday.
Xaba, the reigning SA champion in the 5 000m and 10 000m events, has been in exceptional form over the past eight weeks.
She set a new SA 10km record of 31:12 at the Run Your City Durban leg on July 7. Three consecutive podium finishes during Women’s Month followed this.
Recovery process
Reflecting on her recent success, Xaba credited her entire team for playing a crucial role in her ability to recover quickly between races, allowing her to maintain peak performance.
“I have been working with Power2Health. They help athletes recover using various methods, such as ice baths, oxygen, and ozone. I started working with them in 2020, when I had a knee problem,” she said.
“Now they understand my body because I have been attending their sessions consistently. I usually attend three recovery sessions a week when I am busy racing. It helps me a lot.”
Her quick recovery between intense efforts means that she will once again be expected to take the fight to the east Africans at the fourth Run Your City event of 2024.
Run on a hilly course at altitude, Xaba, affectionately known as SuperCharger, will take on Lesotho 10km record holder Neheng Khatala, Olympian Blandina Makatisi, also of The Mountain Kingdom, perennial podium finisher Cacisile Sosibo, and Ethiopia’s Ebste Atagoud Btaw.
Hard work pays off
“When it comes to hills, I destroy them,” said Xaba jokingly after crushing her opposition to take line honours at the Johannesburg leg of the TotalSports Women’s Race [32:56] by over a minute from runner-up Diniya Abaraya of Ethiopia.
“I’m very happy. It shows that if you believe in yourself, work hard, dedicate yourself, listen to what your coach says, and follow the programme, you’ll do much better.”
The men’s race in the nation’s capital is expected to be a little more open.
Defending champion Kabelo Mulaudzi will face off against last year’s runner-up and SA 10km record holder (27:35) Precious Mashele, perennial sub-28-minute 10km performer Thabang Mosiako, as well as Olympian Elroy Gelant, who has dominated the 2024 Run Your City series.
