By Adnaan Mohamed
There will be a moment of silence before the first footsteps echo through Marks Park on Sunday, but once the gun goes, there will be no room for silence in the battle for the 2026 SPAR Women’s Grand Prix crown.
A sold-out field of 15 000 women will pause to honour victims of gender-based violence (GBV) and femicide before the Jozi SPAR Women’s 10km Challenge gets under way.
Leading that moment will be South Africa’s golden ultra-running star Gerda Steyn, who will also line up for the 10km.
Then the focus shifts to the front of the race, where Glenrose “Supercharger” Xaba has a chance to run herself into SPAR Grand Prix history.
The defending champion can become the first athlete to win the series four times, but Cacisile Sosibo holds the advantage heading into the final round.
Sosibo leads on 99 points, with Xaba on 89 and Ethiopian Selam Gebre on 86. Karabo More and Karabo Mailula also remain mathematically in contention.
The championship mathematics add another layer of intrigue. The series consists of five races, with only an athlete’s best four results counting towards the final standings. Xaba missed the Durban leg while representing South Africa in the United States, keeping the door open for a late charge.
Sosibo has built her lead the hard way: through consistency. She has finished inside the top 10 in every race and collected maximum bonus points in three races.
Xaba, meanwhile, arrives in Jozi with her racing shoes warmed up and confidence running high.
She won last weekend’s Gqeberha SPAR Women’s Challenge in 31:17, the second-fastest 10km of her career. Her South African record stands at 31:12, underlining the speed she can bring to Sunday’s title showdown.
The Boxer athlete will have familiar challengers around her, with teammates Sosibo, More and Mailula all capable of making the final kilometres uncomfortable. Gebre will add an international threat, while Ethiopian junior Dirbe Dogne makes her SPAR Women’s Challenge debut.
Race director Brad Glasspoole expects the championship to remain alive until the final results are calculated.
Steyn’s run for a bigger cause
For Steyn, Sunday is about more than pace and placing.
The multiple Two Oceans and Comrades Marathon winner will use her platform to support SPAR’s campaign against GBV, leading the moment of silence before both the 10km and 5km Fun Run.
“Something must be done about the horrific levels of GBV in South Africa,” Steyn said.
“These have been highlighted by the spate of killings in Ekurhuleni. Women should be able to go about their daily lives without fear and if they want to run, they should be free to do so without wondering whether they will get home safely,” she said.
The 10km course starts and finishes at Marks Park and winds through Emmarentia, Greenside, Linden and Parkview. The mainly flat-to-undulating route combines fast sections with steady climbs and passes landmarks including the Johannesburg Botanical Gardens and Melville Koppies.
For the thousands taking part, it is a morning of running, solidarity and remembrance.
For the elite field, it is the final 10km of the 2026 SPAR Grand Prix.
And for Xaba, it could be the run that makes history.
