By Adnaan Mohamed
Glenrose Xaba’s Spar Grand Prix dream is heading into dangerous territory.
The Boxer Athletics Club star has a shot at becoming the first woman to win four SPAR Grand Prix titles, but Saturday’s penultimate race in Gqeberha could send the championship race into overdrive.
Xaba currently shares the record of three Grand Prix crowns with fellow South Africans Rene Kalmer and Irvette van Zyl, and Ethiopia’s Tadu Nare.
A victory in this year’s series would put her alone at the top.
But the road to history is littered with potholes.
Cacisile Sosibo, Xaba’s Boxer teammate, leads the standings on 80 points, with Hollywood Athletics Club’s Tayla Kavanagh on 60 and Xaba third.
Kavanagh will miss Gqeberha after staying in Europe following the World Road Running Championships in Copenhagen, where she smashed Elana Meyer’s South African 5km record with a sensational 14:51.
That absence has opened the door for the chasing pack.
And they are coming.
Ethiopian Selam Gebre, currently fourth, will be among those hunting points, while Karabo Mailula, sixth, arrives after finishing fifth in Thursday’s Absa RUN YOUR CITY Joburg 10K in 34:44.
Irvette van Zyl, another three-time Grand Prix champion, clocked 34:51 in Joburg and sits 10th overall.
Neheng Khatala, Cian Gerber (Oldknow) and Karabo More are also expected to throw themselves into the points battle.
Xaba, meanwhile, is carrying serious form into Gqeberha.
She finished 13th in the Copenhagen half marathon in 1:07:49, the second-fastest 21km time of her career.
Sosibo was 70th in 1:14:00 and will be determined to protect her championship lead.
Then there is the course.
SPAR Grand Prix technical consultant Brad Glasspoole says the new route could produce a furious finish.
“The new Gqeberha route starts at Pollok Beach and avoids the city centre. This reduces traffic, turns and twists,” Glasspoole told Modern Athlete
“There is a 550m climb on 10th Avenue, followed by a 450m descent. The final 2.5km is flat and fast.”
That final stretch could become a sprinting lottery, with tired legs and championship points fighting for the same piece of road.
About 6,000 runners are expected, with wet and windy conditions forecast.
Glasspoole believes the new qualification rule could make Saturday even more important.
“This is a new rule we introduced this year to make the series more competitive. With Johannesburg as the final leg after Gqeberha, Saturday’s points could be decisive.”
Athletes must complete at least three races to qualify for the Grand Prix title.
The five-race series visits Cape Town, Durban, Tshwane, Gqeberha and Johannesburg, with R1,967,500 in total prize money and up to R212,000 available per leg for the South African competition.
Xaba, Sosibo, Mailula and More are coached by former Olympic 800m champion Caster Semenya and her wife Violet Semenya.
Saturday is therefore no ordinary 10km.
For Xaba, it is another step towards history.
For Sosibo, it is a chance to tighten her grip.
And for the chasing pack, it is open season.
Gqeberha is ready. The title race is on.