With three of the six SPAR Grand Prix races now completed, Ethiopian athlete Selam Gebre holds onto her slender points lead over Glenrose Xaba, 77 points to 74, with Lesotho runner Blandina Makatisi a further 5 points back.
However, under the revised rules for the 2023 SPAR Grand Prix season, a Gebre victory in October is far from a foregone conclusion. Tadu Nare (Ethiopia), who won both the 2021 and 2022 Grand Prix competitions, is handily placed in fourth position with 60 points.
In Durban over the weekend, Nare notched up yet another SPAR victory in a brilliant 31:26, edging Gebre by 11 seconds. This was the third time that Selam has finished runner-up this year. In Cape Town back in April, another Ethiopian, Hiyane Lama, beat her by just two seconds.
Of critical importance in terms of the final outcome is the rule that, at the end of the 6-race series, only a runner’s four best points scores will count for the final table. This means that two more victories in the three remaining races will ensure that Nare will once again reign supreme.
But, of course, life and athletics are never certainties, and anything can happen between now and the final race in Johannesburg. In Durban, Boxer Athletic Club’s Glenrose Xaba’s scintillating form continued with a lifetime best 31:55, moving her into the rarified air of women who have managed to break 32 minutes for the 10km distance. This was her third podium finish this year and another fine run in the next three races should cement at least third place on the leaderboard at the end of the season.
Lesotho’s Blandina Makatisi (69 points), Kesa Molotsane (53 points) and another Boxer athlete, Cacisile Sosibo (50 points) are rewarded with top six places after consistent performances so far.
2023 SPAR GRAND PRIX CALENDAR
Mbombela – Saturday, 15 July 2023 – Mbombela Stadium
Tshwane – Saturday, 5 August 2023 – SuperSport Park
Joburg – Sunday, 1 October 2023 – Marks Park Sporting Club
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