Toti puts on a show at Spar Women’s 10/5km Challenge
From a field of over 13 000 SPAR Women's 10/5km Challenge athletes, an Amanzimtoti AC runner reached the top three of the 70+ age group.
AMANZIMTOTI Athletics Club members showed up in numbers for the annual SPAR Women’s 10/5km Challenge in the Durban CBD on June 28, donning bright orange and wide smiles.
Also read: Charity announced for Durban Spar Women’s 10/5km Challenge
One of the club’s own, Johanna Taljaard, put out a barn burner of a finishing time of 1:12:50 in the 70+ age group, finishing third overall and enjoying some well-deserved recognition during the prize-giving ceremony.
Publicist Sophie Thompson said that the challenge drew 13 355 athletes for a sell-out event. With R5 of each entry contributed towards race charity, iThemba Lethu, the Manor Gardens-based non-profit organisation were handed a cheque to the tune of R100 000. In addition, one lucky participant walked away with a brand new Hyundai Exter 1.2 Premium MT to the value of R269 900.
Winner of the race, which forms part of the SPAR Grand Prix, Tayla Kavanagh, extended her lead with a hard-fought victory. She shook off the field within the first few kilometres, with only Ethiopian athlete, Selam Gebre, able to hang on.
Kavanagh completed the race in 31:32.
“I had very strong competition from Selam today, and I think we really produced a good race out there. We challenged each other a lot and really kept each other going, and I enjoyed the competition,” said Kavanagh, who also won the first leg of the SPAR Grand Prix Series in Cape Town in March.
Results
Open:
- Tayla Kavanagh: 31:32
- Selam Gebre: 31:45
- Neheng Khatala: 32:09
U20:
- Leah Edwards: 37:40
- Chanel Groenewald: 37:45
- Alexis Hewitt: 38:38
40-49:
- Olga Firsova: 34:23
- Makhosazane Mhlongo: 37:22
- Janie Grundling: 37:34
50-59:
- Tanith Maxwell: 39:51
- Janene Carey: 40:43
- Maya Lawrie: 43:24
60-69:
- Judy Bird: 41:57
- Dalene Sonnekus: 43:55
- Ezna Flattery: 45:01
70+:
- Blanche Moila: 55:51
- Pat Fisher: 59:05
- Johanna Taljaard: 1:12:50
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