The 2025 SPAR Women’s Challenge Mbombela continued the event’s upwards trajectory ever since the first edition in 2022, as they welcomed the most entrants to date at this year’s race.

No fewer than 2 000 people entered the race last Saturday, which was the fourth time the SPAR Women’s Challenge has been held here in Mbombela. Of these entrants about 1 100 entered the 10km and the remainder the 4.9km fun run. Runners travelled from far and wide to take part, with some coming down from as far as Johannesburg.

The races, both held in and around the Lowveld National Botanical Garden, featured new and improved routes this year. The 10km race in particular received a major facelift in 2025 as instead of running a loop inside the Botanical Garden they ran out onto Emnotweni Avenue, then the Government Boulevard, through the parking lot at Riverside Mall, before heading back into the Botanical Garden.

This along with staggered starts for the two distances helped ensure a smoother running experience for everyone involved this year. The theme for this year’s race was #Twenty20Thrive, and the participants did just that!

Kenyan runner Florence Nyaingiri dominated in the 10km race and put on a dazzling show of running excellence, setting off the timing beams in a time of 35:24 to secure top prize. Rosaline Isaiah was second with a time of 38:21 and Nomvula Sithole third in 38:52. Leoné Bezuidenhout (22:31) was quickest in the 4.9km fun run, followed by Anje Roux (26:28) and Fortune Nkosi (28:00).

While men are able to enter the race, the majority of the entrants remain the fearless and fabulous women and girls who come together to take a stand and make their voices heard against gender-based violence. Once again the event supported the Mbombela-based Greater Rape Intervention Project, which received a donation of R100k from the race as well as 1 000 sanitary products from Ace Retail Solutions.

After the fun was done on the running front, the real celebrations started when Jamali took to the stage and got everyone jiving and dancing their running pains away. Rubber Duc followed up on this performance with a special set to round off the day.

Ever since its start at Mbombela Stadium, which included the elite race component that brought along some of the best runners around, the SPAR Women’s Challenge Mbombela has continued to grow from strength to strength each year. This year’s record number of entrants is testament to this, and the event is fast becoming the 4.9km and 10km running event you don’t want to miss.

> Photos: Blake Linder