JOHANNESBURG – Glenrose Xaba is having a season to remember and she has no intentions of letting up.
If anything, the 24-year-old from Mpumalanga is looking to confirm her position as South Africa’s short distance queen of road running.
And she will do so tomorrow at the FNB Joburg 10K CITYRUN and later at the Durban leg of this popular race in October.
Having ran Personal Bests at5km, 10km, 15km and the half marathon, where she became South African champion on debut - Xaba is confident she can beat the international competition that will be present in Jozi tomorrow.
One of those is Ethiopian Tadu Nare who has gotten the better of her in the Spar Grand Prix as well as at the ASA Half Marathon Championships in Port Elizabeth.
But having won the Joburg CITYRUN in 2017, Xaba believes she has an advantage and is looking forward to flying through the city of gold.
“I am excited to be racing in the FNB Run Your City Series. It always brings fast athletes, so I know that I will need to be at my best.”
Xaba and Nare have met on six occasions and each time the Ethiopian has had the upper hand. But Xaba feels she is hitting peak form at the right time after her historic 69:46 half marathon in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
That run made Xaba only the third South African woman to break the 70 minute mark behind Elana Meyer (66:44) and Colleen de Reuck (68:38) and the first to do so in 20 years. On her way to that 69:46, Xaba went through 5km in 16:26, 10km in 32:59 and 15km in 49:30.
“I feel my legs are getting stronger now and I am able to handle the faster paces better now, so I am excited about the FNB Run Your City Races.”
Xaba won the SA Cross Country title at the beginning of the month and that victory has her confident.
“My legs aren’t tired. I am strong and after my half marathon (in Buenos Aires), I feel that I have moved up a notch and can look forward to a fast time, particularly in Durban.”
Xaba is going to use tomorrow’s race to prepare for the national 10km championships that will be taking place in her home province of Mpumalanga at the end of the month before she then goes to Durban for the City SurfRun.