XABA TO SUPERCHARGER FOR MARATHON DEBUT AT BOXER SUPER RUN.

Glenrose "Supercharge" Xaba. Source: Instagram

The second edition of the Boxer Super Run takes place this Sunday, and while all eyes will be on defending women’s champion Glenrose Xaba to see if she can chalk up yet another victory, the athlete’s focus will not necessarily be on victory.

Xaba just can’t stop winning, and this past weekend, she capped a stellar season by emphatically winning the final race in Johannesburg, reclaiming the Spar Grand Prix Series title.

Yet while she will toe the start line as favourite, Xaba will be testing her speed ahead of a huge milestone in her impressive career that has seen her getting better with every season.

South Africa’s 10km record holder and half marathon champion is moving up to the full marathon and will make her debut in the 42.195km distance at next weekend’s Sanlam Cape Town Marathon.

Speaking after her Spar Grand Prix Series success which saw her become the first South African since 2018 to win the popular women’s only 10km, the lass from Mpumalanga told the media that she is contractually obliged to do the Super Run.

Nevertheless, she is eagerly anticipating the race: “I am really looking forward to participating again on Sunday. It’s been a busy season, but this event holds a special place for me because it’s sponsored by Boxer. You can’t be part of the Boxer Athletics Club and not want to compete on Sunday. It’s our event, and we are all extremely proud to represent Boxer and the Boxer Athletics Club on the day.”

She believes the Super Run is a special event.

“The event opens up opportunities for 800m and 1500m athletes to compete alongside road runners. The 5km is all about maintaining speed while building power. The atmosphere at the Boxer Super Run is fantastic, and the route is fast and flat. The impressive prize purse will undoubtedly motivate athletes to focus on shorter distances until they are ready to transition to longer races.”

The opportunities are not just for the track athletes but for ultra road runners too, with the country’s ultimate long-distance starlet Gerda Steyn also signing up to run on Sunday.

The Two Oceans and Comrades champion and record holder is taking up a new challenge and is ‘thrilled to be part of this event. A 5km road race is a fantastic concept for both social and elite runners in South Africa, and I’d love to see it grow from strength to strength."  

Though an ultra specialist, Steyn is pretty fast and boasts a Personal Best of 15:45.

 "I enjoy that the 5km is somewhat unfamiliar territory for me, which makes it a fresh challenge and a great way to gauge my fitness," Steyn explains. "My goal is to run a strong race and compete at my best. I don’t have a specific time in mind—I’ll assess the weather and how my body feels on the day—but I’ll definitely be giving it my all!"  

The race carries a massive prize purse of R147 200.00 which Steyn feels “makes this event even more appealing for athletes, adding extra motivation to perform well and push each other. I’m looking forward to joining everyone in Durban. I always cherish the support I get from the Durban running community, and I can’t wait to share the roads with everyone there."