By Adnaan Mohamed
Glenrose Xaba saved her sharpest kick for the closing kilometres, powering to a commanding 32:11 victory at the Totalsports Women’s Race Joburg at Marks Park, Emmarentia, on Sunday.
The South African turned a demanding 10km into a tactical game of patience, pace and positioning, picking her moment before putting daylight between herself and the chasing pack with about two kilometres remaining.
It was a performance built for the hill
Xaba had initially planned to shadow Kenya’s Brenda Kenei, who arrived with a 30:29 personal best and ambitious sub-30:30 intentions. The Joburg elevation and rolling route soon exposed where the race could be won.
“I saw a post that there would be a lady aiming for sub-30:30, and I said I would go with her. I knew the course was tough, but I would try my best to stick with her,” Xaba said.
“The beginning was hard because she was pushing, but I tried my best to keep the pace. I noticed that when it came to the hills, she was not as strong, so I tried to close the gap on the downhills so that when we approached the hills, I could stick with her. I think the plan worked for me.”
It certainly did.
With the final climbs looming, Xaba shifted gears and turned the race into a solo pursuit.
“I think it was two kilometres to go when I broke away from her. I knew that when we got to one kilometre to go, we were going to climb again.”
Her reward was a second victory of the year and another confidence boost ahead of the World Championships.
“It feels amazing to cross the finish line first. I think it’s my second win of the year, so I am very happy. It shows that my training is going well. I am focusing on the World Champs, so when I come to a race, I am coming with a full programme.”
Kenei finished second, with South African Cacisile Sosibo third.
Xaba’s victory also put a distinctly local gloss on a series increasingly becoming a meeting point for South African talent and international challengers. Durban went to Lesotho’s Neheng Khatala in 32:06, while Kenya’s Daisilah Jerono won Cape Town in 31:29.
Stillwater Sports managing director Michael Meyer praised the Joburg finale and the thousands of women who helped turn the series into a national celebration.
“The Totalsports Women’s Race Joburg was the perfect culmination of this year’s three-race series,” Meyer said.
Totalsports head of marketing Nikki Crous echoed the sentiment, saying women across Durban, Cape Town and Johannesburg had created “three truly memorable race days”.
With Busiswa providing the soundtrack and PinkDrive remaining central to the campaign, the series finished with plenty of colour, community and running shoes pounding the pavement.
Xaba supplied the final flourish.
Joburg had its champion. The 2026 Women’s Month racing relay had its perfect finishing kick.
RESULTS – TOP 10 / Totalsports Women’s Race Johannesburg 2026 10km
Date: Sunday 16 August 2026
Start Time: 08:00
Start Venue: Judith Rd at Orange St intersection
Finish Venue: Orange Road and Buffalo Road Junction, Marks Park
Top 10 Elite Field
1 Glenrose Xaba (South Africa) 32:11, 2 Brenda Kenei (Kenya) 32:28, 3 Cacisile Sosibo (South Africa) 34:01, 4 Irvette Van Zyl (South Africa) 34:23, 5 Emma Pallant-Browne (Great Britain) 34:44, 6 Karabo Mailula (South Africa) 35:02, 7 Dikeledi Majara (Lesotho) 35:41, 8 Carina Swiegers (South Africa) 37:04, 9 Cornelia Joubert (South Africa) 38:19, 10 Maria Shai (South Africa) 39:06