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Silence, GBV Solidarity at SPAR Women’s finale in Jozi

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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.

Cacisile Sosibo in action at the 2026 SPAR Women’s 10km Challenge in Cape Town in March 2026 (Photo by Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images)

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

Gerda Steyn in action at the Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon Photo: TTOM

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.

SPAR Grand Prix Celebrates 18 years as Stakes Rise for 2026

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The SPAR Grand Prix has reached its 18th year, and like a seasoned marathoner hitting her stride, the series continues to quicken the tempo of women’s road running in South Africa.

Staged across five legs of the SPAR Women’s 10km Challenge in Cape Town, Durban, Tshwane, Gqeberha and Johannesburg, the Grand Prix operates as an elite race within a mass participation celebration. Thousands line up at each stop, yet at the sharp end the country’s finest compete for points, pride and a prize purse that has swelled to R1 967 500.

Launched in 2008 to give top-tier South African runners a structured, rewarding annual contest, the series widened its lane in 2019 to include international athletes. The arrival of runners from across Africa has acted like a tailwind, lifting standards and sharpening finishing kicks. Local athletes have responded with faster times and fearless racing.

The overall champion in 2026 will pocket R210 000, with R105 000 for second and R80 000 for third. Age category winners earn R11 000, with R8 000 for runners-up. South Africa’s top five finishers also receive dedicated incentives. The leading South African takes home R110 000, second earns R75 000 and fifth collects R21 000, in addition to their main competition earnings.

Across 18 years, four athletes have won the title three times: Rene Kalmer, Irvette van Zyl, Tadu Nare of Ethiopia and Glenrose Xaba. Xaba broke new ground as the first South African champion since the series opened to international competition, and the first black South African to claim three titles. She now chases a fourth crown, aiming to carve her name deeper into the record books.

“The SPAR Grand Prix has become very important to me,” said Xaba.
“I am very proud to be the first black South African to win it three times. I like to think that my achievements are an inspiration to young girls living in poverty as I was, who see what I have done and believe they can do the same.”

Beyond the stopwatch, the Grand Prix carries a powerful social stride. SPAR’s campaign to end period poverty and gender-based violence runs alongside the racing calendar.

“As a business rooted in the heart of South African communities, SPAR has a responsibility to stand up for women and girls. Ending period poverty and gender-based violence is about more than intervention – it’s about dignity, safer environments, and equal opportunities.

“Through our community partnerships and sustained investments, we are committed to creating environments where women are supported, protected, and empowered to reach their full potential. This is not just one of those social responsibility programmes for SPAR – it is central to who we are.

“We continue to advocate for dignity and access to essential resources for women and girls. By partnering with organisations on the ground and investing in community driven solutions, we are helping to break down barriers, restore dignity, and create comfortable spaces where women can thrive, and get an opportunity to celebrate themselves. These efforts reflect SPAR’s core values of care, inclusivity, and meaningful community impact.

“The SPAR Women’s 10km Challenge and the SPAR Grand Prix are examples of our commitment to improving the lot of women.”

Acting President of Athletics South Africa, John Mathane, saluted the milestone.

Pictured from left, Acting President of Athletics South Africa, John Mathane, Glenrose Xaba 2025 SPAR Grand Prix Winner and Mpudi Maubane, SPAR National PR, Communications and Sponsorship Manager. Photo credit- Reg Caldecott

“SPAR is one of the longest standing sponsors of athletics in South Africa, and we applaud SPAR for having supported, promoted and empowered hundreds of thousands of women through the SPAR Challenge series, while assisting our elite athletes through the SPAR Grand Prix.

“ASA are aligned with SPAR and their commendable initiative to end GBV and period poverty. The women of South Africa need to be heard, respected and protected,” said Mathane.

Corporate backing remains strong. Hyundai and Coca Cola return as official partners for 2026, with Modern Athlete as media partner. At each race, one entrant over 18 with a valid driver’s licence stands a chance to drive away in an all-new Hyundai EXTER.

“Hyundai is driven by performance, precision and people,” said Stanley Anderson, CEO of Hyundai Automotive South Africa. “We excited to continue our partnership with the SPAR National Grand Prix Series. Once again, one lucky attendee at each race stands a chance to drive away in the all-new Hyundai EXTER and this is our way of celebrating South Africans’ energy, on and off the track.”

The 2026 theme, #CelebrateHer, captures the spirit of a series that blends elite competition with community upliftment. Eighteen years in, the SPAR Grand Prix runs with the confidence of experience and the hunger of youth, its footsteps echoing far beyond the finish line.