Glenrose Shaba won the final stage of the three-city Totalsports Women’s Race held Sunday morning in Johannesburg.
Glenrose Shaba's Strategy
Shaba's strategy was to stay close to Kenyan Brenda Kenei, who aimed to finish in 30 minutes and 30 seconds. Thanks to this, the athlete from Boxer Athletics Club won the final stage of the Totalsports Women’s Race in Johannesburg on Sunday morning.
Shaba crossed the finish line at the Marks Park Sports Club, which was decorated pink for the 10,000 runners, in 32 minutes and 11 seconds, comfortably ahead of Kenei by 17 seconds. Her friend and teammate Kasisile Sosibo took third place on the podium, finishing in 34 minutes and 01 second, just one day after being crowned champion of the Central Gauteng Athletic Club (CGA) cross-country.
After the victory, Shaba said that she had read that Kenei was aiming for a finish under 30:30 and decided to use her as a benchmark, despite knowing that the pace would be very high. 'I saw a post that some lady was targeting a result under 30:30. I told myself I would go with her, but since I know the course is very difficult, I tried to stay close to her,' Shaba said, breathless at the finish line.
The race proved difficult from the start, as athletes had to overcome a combination of fast descents and demanding climbs. Shaba noted that she adjusted her pace depending on the terrain, especially when she noticed her competitor seemed less confident on the hills.
'It was hard from the beginning; she was moving, she was pushing. I tried my best to maintain the pace,' she explained. 'I saw that when she approached the hills, she wasn't as strong, so I tried to adjust the pace when we came down the slopes.'
Shaba remained composed during the decisive final stages, knowing that the final climbs could provide an opportunity for a burst, and the plan worked excellently.
Describing the course as 'very fast' but also 'very difficult,' Shaba emphasized that the constant changes in altitude made the race particularly intense.
Preparation for the World Championships
The victory in the Women’s Month race, which has already taken place in cities like Durban and Cape Town, is a clear indicator that Shaba's preparation for the World Association Half Marathon Championships is going according to plan.
'It feels amazing because I think this is my second win this year (she also won in Tshwane in the SPAR Women's Challenge stage with a distance record two weeks ago)... I am very happy. It shows that my training is going very well,' she stated.
Shaba deliberately prioritized preparation for the World Championships, declining to participate in provincial cross-country championships on Saturday, as the national event would be too close to the global showcase. 'I need to focus on the World Championships,' she explained, adding that she wants to arrive in peak condition rather than competing just two weeks before it.
She believes that the program developed with her coach is yielding the desired results: 'I feel very happy. It shows that we are moving in the right direction.'
Her goals for the World Championships are clear: to make the top 10 and set a personal record. Shaba, whose half marathon personal best is 1 hour 8 minutes 12 seconds, is targeting a time in the low 66-minute range, with the possibility of challenging the South African record if conditions allow.
However, attention is currently focused on preparing for the Absa RUN YOUR CITY TSHWANE 10K before she transitions to full training mode, a feat supported by the victory, which strengthens confidence that her World Championship preparation is on track.
