Tough women’s field for Run Your City Gqeberha 10km

Glenrose Xaba will be targeting the second sub-32-minute 10km of her career when she lines up for the Absa Run Your City Gqeberha 10km on Sunday
BIG TARGET: Glenrose Xaba will be targeting the second sub-32-minute 10km of her career when she lines up for the Absa Run Your City Gqeberha 10km on Sunday
Image: RAE TREWBROWNE

Box-office action is expected in the Absa Run Your City Gqeberha 10km in the women’s race in Summerstrand on Sunday.

The popular race made its debut in 2023.

Boxer road runner Glenrose Xaba will be targeting only the second sub-32-minute 10km of her career when she lines up for the Gqeberha edition in the national series.

Xaba, 29, was the first South African home, placing fourth overall in a then personal best time of 32:23 in 2023.

Despite failing to achieve her target of finishing inside the top 30 at the World Cross Country Championships in Serbia on March 31 2024, Xaba remains bullish about her prospects of running faster than she ever has before over 10km.

“I’m looking forward to the race to run a good time and have a good race,” Xaba said.

“I hope the conditions will be good. I will be happy if I can run a personal best since I have 31:55.

“So I would be happy with anything around 31:40 or 31:50.

“I’m really looking forward to having a good race because the conditions in Gqeberha are always good and the vibe is always entertaining.”

Another tough competitor, Kenyan Diana Chepkorir, will be looking to make an impressive debut in the Gqeberha leg.

“I decided to come to SA because I heard that fast times can be run there,” she said.

“I heard about the Absa Run Your City series and have seen the results online.

“First of all, I heard that SA is a nice place to be.

“Second, that the organisation is very welcoming and last, but not least, that it has fast races and as I am trying to always improve myself I am happy to come and give it a try on Sunday.”

Chepkorir heads to the Friendly City in the best shape of her life after setting a jaw-dropping 29:56 lifetime best at the FACSA Castellón 10K in February during what was her first official 10km road race outside Kenya.

Her transition from steeplechaser to road runner is bearing fruit and the Kenyan is aiming to go even faster at the first Absa Run Your City series race of 2024.

“I am still very happy that I could run my first race outside Kenya below 30 minutes,” she said.

“Recovery was good and I was immediately motivated to continue my training.

“I want to run fast again, depending on the day.

“But I am feeling well and want to still make use of that shape.”

HeraldLIVE


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