Johannesburg — What chance a South African runner winning a leg of the Women’s Challenge for the first time in five years?
The popular 10km race series has been the sole preserve of international runners since Glenrose Xaba reigned supreme in 2018. Thereafter, SA runners have played the role of bridesmaids not only in the individual races, but in the entire series too with Helalia Johannes and Tadu Nare dominating.
Namibia’s Johannes won in 2019 while Nare was dominant in 2021 and 2022, with the series not taking place in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The two are going to miss the opening race of this year’s edition and with it being the 30th anniversary of the series, how grand it would be to have a SA runner being crowned champion after the six races?
Xaba, as well as other former Grand Prix winners Kesa Molotsane and Mapaseka Makhanya plus the Phalula twins Lebo and Lebohang, are set to toe the start line at the Cape Town leg on Sunday, keen to earn a rare victory that could set them en route to being crowned the overall champion.
Johannes is out due to injury, while Nare misses this one due to “other commitments”.
While their absence opens up a small window of opportunity for South Africans to amass early points, they are not going to have it plain sailing. Not with Nare’s compatriot Selam Gebre, who was overall runner-up last year stll in the mix.
There are two other Ethiopians in Genet Habela and Hiyane Lama, who will be competing in this year’s series and given the quality of both Nare and Gebre it is safe to assume they too will bring quality to the event.
The addition of Maxed Elite’s Mokulubete Blandina Makatisi from Lesotho, who finished third at last weekend’s Two Oceans half marathon, will ensure that South African competitors must run out of their skins to win on Sunday if they are to end the international domination.
There are also special incentives this year for SA runners. In each of the six races the first South African across the line will receive R10 000, while the second South African will take home R5 000 in addition to the regular prize money. And there is more: in the overall Grand Prix, the South African with the most points will collect an additional R75 000 over and above the regular position prize.
IOL Sport