GLENROSE XABA’S strategy of staying close to Kenyan Brenda Kenei — who was targeting a 30:30 finish — paid off as the Boxer Athletics Club star claimed victory in Sunday morning’s final leg of the three-city Totalsports Women’s Race in Johannesburg.
Xaba crossed the finish line at the Marks Park Sports Club, which was painted pink by 10,000 women runners, in a time of 32:11 to beat Kenei into second place by a comfortable 17 seconds. Her friend and teammate Cacisile Sosibo completed the podium in 34:01, just a day after being crowned the Central Gauteng Athletics (CGA) cross-country champion.
Speaking after her victory, Xaba said she had read that Kenei was going for a 30:30 finish and decided to use her as a benchmark, despite knowing the pace would be demanding.
“I saw the post that there was a lady aiming for a sub-30:30. I said to myself I would go with her, but because I know the route is very tough, I tried my best to stick with her,” a breathless Xaba said at the finish line.
The race proved challenging from the outset, with athletes having to negotiate a combination of fast downhill sections and demanding climbs. Xaba said she adjusted her pace according to the terrain, particularly when she noticed her rival was less comfortable on the hills.
“From the beginning it was hard; she was moving, she was pushing. I tried my best to keep the pace,” she explained. “I saw when she came to the hills that she was not that strong, so I tried to adjust the tempo when we came to the downhills.”
Xaba remained composed through the crucial closing stages, knowing the final climbs could provide an opportunity to make her move — and the plan worked like a charm.
Describing the route as “very fast” but also “very challenging”, Xaba said the constant changes in elevation made the race particularly demanding.
The victory in the Women’s Month race — which had already seen legs hosted in Durban and Cape Town — is a clear indication that Xaba’s preparation for the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships later in the year is progressing as planned.
“It feels amazing, because I think it is my second win this year (she was also victorious in the Tshwane leg of the SPAR Women’s Challenge in a course-record time a fortnight ago)… I am very happy. It shows that my training is going very well,” she said.
Xaba deliberately prioritised her World Championships preparations by opting not to compete in Saturday’s provincial cross-country championships, as the national event would fall too close to the global showcase.
“I need to focus on the World Champs,” she said, explaining that she wants to arrive on fresh legs rather than racing a championship only two weeks beforehand.
She believes the programme designed alongside her coach is producing the desired results: “I am feeling very happy. It shows that we are working in the right direction.”
Her ambitions for the World Championships are clear: a top-10 finish and a personal best. Xaba, whose half-marathon PB stands at 1:08:12, is targeting a time in the low 66-minute range, with the possibility of challenging the South African record if conditions suit.
For now, however, the focus returns to getting ready for the Absa RUN YOUR CITY TSHWANE 10K before she enters full training mode, boosted by a victory that provides further confidence that her World Championships build-up is firmly on track.
