Russian-born, former Czech runner Olga Firsova, now a South African resident in Stellenbosch, will be aiming to make a strong debut in the first in the series of Spar Women’s Grand Prix 10km races in Cape Town on Sunday.
Firsova, who registered a personal best of 33:19 in New York last year, is a contender for a top ten finish in the Mother City.
I’m excited to compete and see how I measure up against Africa’s best.
Kenyan Fridah Ndinda will also be making her first appearance in the Grand Prix, bringing a career best of 32:25 from 2022. She too is expected to challenge for the top positions.
Defending champion Glenrose Xaba of Boxer faces fierce competition in her bid to become the fourth athlete to win the Spar Grand Prix three times. Xaba, who won the Grand Prix twice, has set her sights on staying injury-free and continuing her winning form.
Xaba’s mentor, former 800m world and Olympic champion Caster Semenya, will also be taking part. Last year, she entered her first ever 10km race in the Tshwane SPAR Challenge and finished in 10th position.
Winning the Spar Grand Prix has been a dream and a goal for many years. Being a defending champion is surreal, and I’m determined to fight for that top spot.
The sold-out Cape Town race, the first of five in the Spar Grand Prix series, is set to host 16,000 runners. The series offers substantial prizes, with the overall winner earning R200,000, and the top South African runner receiving an additional R100,000. Junior athletes will also compete for a separate R10,500 prize across three races.
Xaba, who became the first South African to win the Spar Grand Prix since it opened to international athletes in 2019, is in peak form. She recently won the 10,000m at the AGN Track and Field Championships in 31:56.
Despite the tough competition from other African runners like Ethiopians Diniya Abaraya and Selam Gebre, as well as newcomer Tsihay Gebru, who has a personal best of 32:09 and seasoned competitors like Irvette van Zyl, Xaba is confident in her preparation.
The series is great for women athletes, both financially and in creating a platform for us to compete. It’s an honour to be part of this.
Local runners who will give Xaba a run for her money include Van Zyl (Hollywood AC), and Boxer teammates Cacisile Sosibo, and the evergreen Phalula twins, Lebo and Lebogang
The Cape Town race starts at 07:00 and ends at Greenpoint Stadium. Following Cape Town, the other races in the series will be held in Durban, Tshwane, Gqeberha, and Johannesburg.
