The SPAR Grand Prix Series is back again this year and will now take place in five provinces.

Mbombela has been added to the SPAR Grand Prix calendar, replacing Pietermaritzburg.

The Lowveld city is an ideal venue, with its pleasantly warm winter weather and low altitude allowing the athletes the best possible chance of running excellent times.

“SPAR is well known for the promotion and development of women in sports, especially in grassroots areas,” said SPAR Lowveld’s marketing director, Sean Komlosy.

“This event will produce a solid foundation for the development and future sustainability of female athletes in Mpumalanga. We will also include differently abled athletes in a non-elite race, which is a first for our province,” he said.

Komlosy said the SPAR Grand Prix would also provide opportunities for community leaders and organisations to get involved.

“The relationship between athletics and the SPAR group has continued to outlive many others. This season, for instance, is another year of smiles for many athletes who will once again be happy to get another chance to run and a shot for top prize money. For many women, running is their life because it puts food on the table, and each race of these series gives them that opportunity to work towards another
pay day.

“As our sport continues to ease back from the clutches of Covid-19, we applaud the efforts of the SPAR group for ploughing back into our communities through the sport of athletics. Over the years, we have also seen the revival of many careers where women athletes had given up. On behalf of the board of Athletics South Africa (ASA), we wish all athletes and the communities hosting the respective races a wonderful experience,” said James Moloi, the president of ASA.

The other women-only 10-kilometre races will be run in Gqeberha, Durban, Tshwane, Johannesburg and Cape Town.

The prize money has been increased to R170 000 for each race, with the winner receiving R30 000.

Entries for each race will be restricted to 500 runners, who will compete in the open, junior, 40-to-49, 50-to-59 and 60-plus categories.

Points for the SPAR Grand Prix will be awarded to the first 20 runners in the open category, with 20 points for the winner and one for the 20th runner.

Points will be awarded to the first five finishers in the age group categories.

For the first time since 2019, points will also be awarded to runners who achieve excellent times.

In the age groups, five points will be awarded to all runners achieving the target time. In the open group will be a two-tier system for bonus points, with 10 points for exceptional times and five points for slower but still excellent times.

Juniors will earn points from the Durban, Tshwane and Cape Town races.

For the safety of the top athletes, based on the fluctuating Covid regulations and the unprecedented times we find ourselves in, SPAR has restricted each of the six races to 500 invited athletes. For all the other women who have loyally supported the SPAR Women’s Challenges nationwide, SPAR has gone virtual again this year.

However, that does not mean SPAR has compromised on the fun.

The SPAR Women’s Virtual Challenge will take place on Saturday September 3 and entries are open. SPAR encourages all women to gather their friends together, work out a route in their local community and share all the fun.

SPAR has also announced Superfine as a new partner of the grand prix.

Superfine is an African lifestyle brand specialising in eyewear, time pieces and personal accessories.
The winner of each race will receive a substantial Superfine voucher and all category winners at the season’s end will walk away with prizes from Superfine.

Nigel Smit, MD of Superfine, said that Superfine was delighted to partner with the SPAR Grand Prix, “We are a brand born in Africa and are proud of it. We are continually inspired by our country and her people. South Africa’s women’s top athletes compliment our aims and objectives of being uncompromising in our drive to create high-quality ‘personal treasures’ that stand the test of time.”

Other SPAR Grand Prix partners are Athletics South Africa and Modern Athlete.

SPAR Grand Prix’s website: www.sparwomensrace.co.za.

The 2022 SPAR Grand Prix calendar
• Saturday May 28: Gqeberha
• Sunday June 26: Durban
• Saturday July 16: Mbombela
• Saturday August 6: Tshwane
• Sunday October 2: Johannesburg
• Sunday October 23: Cape Town.