Adnaan Mohamed
Gqeberha is tightening its laces for a record-breaking dash as the sold-out SPAR Women’s 10km Challenge hits the Summerstrand shoreline this Saturday.
All eyes will be on the defending Grand Prix queen Glenrose Xaba, who has already sprinted to three consecutive victories this season and leads the series pack by five points.
The 31-year-old set a spectacular new South African marathon record of 2 hours 22 minutes and 22 seconds on debut at the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon last year.
She has continued her brilliant form over the shorter distances in 2025 with victories at the Cape Town, Durban and Tshwane legs Spar Grand Series of 10km races.
Glenrose, affectionately known as Supercharger, is now chasing a place in history, aiming to become the first black women and only the third South African after René Kalmer and Irvette van Zyl to clinch three SPAR Grand Prix crowns.
The gently undulating route in Gqeberha is one of the most scenic of all the SPAR races and fast times can be expected. Glenrose will be going all out for her fourth consecutive victory in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality. If she succeeds she willl be rewarded with a whopping R200 000 in prize money.
“I think I can be a role model for black girls,” she says.
“I hope they can see my success and believe they can be successful too.”
But her stride won’t go unchallenged. Ethiopia’s Salem Gebre and Diniya Abaraya, along with rising Tuks flyer Karabo Mailula, are expected to push the pace.
Meanwhile, Pietermaritzburg champion Tayla Kavanagh, fresh off a sizzling 31:53 personal best, could be the surprise sprint down the home stretch.
The race, starting and finishing at Pollok Beach, offers one of the flattest, fastest, and most scenic circuits in the series. It’s perfect terrain that sets the stage for fireworks on the stopwatch.
Beyond the finish line, the SPAR Women’s Challenge continues to carry a heavier baton. With every step, the race champions women’s empowerment, health, and the fight against gender-based violence, while also driving SPAR’s bold campaign to end period poverty by 2030.
This weekend, it won’t just be about chasing fast times it’ll be about running toward a future where every women’s stride carries the power of change.