Vryheid participants can gear up and get ready for the annual SPAR Women’s 5/10km Challenge. This year, the prestigious event is celebrating its 35th anniversary and will be held in Durban on Sunday, June 22.
Over the past three decades, the women’s race has garnered an impressive 369,406 participants who have engaged in morning runs around Durban’s picturesque landscapes. Notably, in 1990 – the inaugural year of the race – only 2200 participants took part. The largest field recorded was 17,607 in 2015.
In 1990, Colleen de Reuck of South Africa emerged victorious in the women’s race, completing the 10km in a remarkable time of 34:16. Last year, Tadu Nare of Ethiopia achieved an exceptional feat by winning the 5km race with a time of 31:14.
This year, the event will feature a limited field of 12,000 participants. The 10km race will start at 08:00, followed by the 5km race at 08:45.

Menelisi Luthuli, marketing director for SPAR KZN, expressed the organisation’s long-standing commitment to women’s running races, emphasising its role in promoting health, empowerment and community spirit. “This commitment has provided women with a platform to set achievable goals, celebrate their fitness and personal accomplishments, and do so with camaraderie,” Luthuli stated. “Beyond the race, SPAR’s support has inspired generations of women to lead active, confident lives – a testament to the significance of our theme of #Twenty20Thrive this year.”
The #Twenty20Thrive initiative aligns with the concept of self-prioritisation, personal growth and investing in well-being, with a focus on thriving in all aspects of life.
This year’s race will follow the unchanged fast and flat route, featuring an out-and-back course starting along Masabala Yengwa Avenue, adjacent to the Hollywoodbets Kings Park Stadium. The race will end on the outer fields of the rugby grounds.

Special entertainment will be provided at the finish, with many lucky draw prizes to be won, including a Hyundai Exter 1.2 Premium MT valued at R269,900.
For competitive runners, the Durban race is part of the SPAR Grand Prix series that offers R185,000 in race category prizes. The top three athletes will receive a total of R78,000, with the first-placed runner earning R33,000; the second-placed female athlete R25,000; and the third-placed athlete R20,000.
Online entries are open until midnight on Youth Day, June 16, or until the limit of 12,000 is reached. Online entry fees are R180 for both the 5km and 10km events. Social runners taking part in the 10km event and without a 2025 ASA licence number will be required to buy a temporary licence for R55. Bulk entries of 10 or more participants are available for corporate teams, social teams and schools via the online entry link and close on Friday, June 6.
Given the sold-out status of the Cape Town leg of the SPAR Women’s Challenge series five weeks prior to the event, KwaZulu-Natal entrants are strongly advised to enter promptly to avoid disappointment.
Race pack collections will be held at the Kings Park Stadium outer fields on Friday, June 20, from 10:00 to 18:00 and on Saturday, June 21, from 10:00 to 16:00.

R5 will be donated from each entry to the Sinethemba Women’s Foundation, a non-profit organisation based in Matabetule near Inanda Dam. The official race charity advocates for the eradication of gender-based violence and strives to develop sustainable programmes that enhance the lives of women, girls and youth from impoverished communities.
For further information, visit www.spar.run or follow the race’s social media accounts.

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The news provided to you in this link comes to you from the editorial staff of the Vryheid Herald, a sold newspaper distributed in the Vryheid area.