Namibian star wins SPAR Women’s 10km Challenge Tshwane in record time
While the SPAR Women’s Challenge Tshwane was bigger this year than ever before in terms of the number of participants in the race, it was also won with a new record time by a top international athlete.
Helalia Johannes from the Nedbank International Athletics Club won her fourth successive SPAR Women’s 10km Challenge when she led from start to finish to win the Tshwane race at Supersport Park on Saturday afternoon.
Johannes won the race in a record time of 32.29 minutes.
Ethiopian junior Tadu Nare (Nedbank Ethiopia) was second in 34.19 and Rutendo Nyahora (Nedbank Zimbabwe) was third in 34.40.
Last year’s winner and defending Grand Prix champion, Glenrose Xaba (Boxer GN) finished in fifth place, in 35.39.
Johannes was fresh from coming second in the Bogota half-marathon in Colombia, which was run at an altitude of 2700 metres. She said she was excited about her last two seasons of running, because she was doing better than ever before.
The Namibian shot into the lead from the start and the chasing pack were not able to reel her in.
“My coach told me not to worry about anyone else, but to run my own race. I was feeling good and I am happy with my performance,” said Johannes.
She confirmed that she would run in the Pietermaritzburg SPAR Challenge later this month, but said she took things from day to day, and could not commit herself at this stage to running in the last race, in Johannesburg in October.
“I am training for the World marathon championships and they are just before the Joburg race, so I will just have to see how I feel,” Johannes said after her victory in Centurion.
Nare, who won the South African half marathon in Port Elizabeth last weekend, said her legs were still tired after the half marathon, but she was delighted to have finished second.
The bronze medal winner, Nyahora, said she loves the Pretoria race.
“I think it’s my favourite race and I was very happy to get a podium finish. I have had some health issues but I am feeling stronger now,” Nyahora concluded.
Former Grand Prix winner, Kesa Molotsane from the Murray&Roberts Club, who finished eighth, said the presence of the international athletes in the SPAR Challenge series was good for running in South Africa.
“They are spurring us on to faster times and they are making it very exciting for us. I think it’s good that different people are getting onto the podium in each race,” said Molotsane.
The popular race in Centurion, which is the biggest in the SPAR Grand Prix, was bursting at the seams this year. A huge crowd of 40,940 athletes took to the streets of Centurion in the 10km Challenge and the 5km Fun Run.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites:
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram.
