Dorin Cherop from Kenya defeated defending champion Glenrose Shaba in a tense women's 10-kilometer race at the Absa Run Your City Tshwane 10K event, which took place on Sunday. Cherop demonstrated her skill towards the end of the race, overtaking Shaba.
Cherop's victory was achieved through a timely surge within the last kilometer, after which she maintained her lead, finishing with a time of 31:35. Shaba, who kept pace with the Kenyan for most of the race, crossed the finish line three seconds later, with a time of 31:38. Deborah Chemutai from Kenya also made the podium, taking third place with a time of 31:59.
For Shaba, this result further confirmed that her preparation for the World Road Running Championships next month is heading in the right direction. After the race, Shaba admitted that she realized too late that she still had energy to attack, but by then, Cherop had already built a significant gap.
Shaba noted: 'I feel very happy and excited. The competition was very high, but I am glad I could fight until the finish.' She added that in the last 200 meters, she realized she had extra energy, but it was too late to close the gap.
Cherop, for her part, explained her maneuver by saying that she first tested Shaba's strength in the first half of the race and then launched an attack in the last kilometer, increasing the pressure when Shaba did not respond appropriately.
Despite the defeat, Shaba did not feel disappointed to have lost to an athlete of Cherop's caliber. Instead, she viewed the performance as a valuable indicator of her current standing just before the global championship. The time of 31:38 was particularly encouraging given the difficulty of the Tshwane course, which includes a significant climb and is held at altitude.
Shaba emphasized that she was not concerned about winning, but rather pleased with the opportunity to compete honorably. She believes that running the distance in around 31 minutes on this difficult and fast course indicates her good form. Furthermore, she mentioned recent training, including hill running last week, which is part of her preparation for the world championship.
Cherop continued to demonstrate impressive form, as her time of 31:35 is only slightly behind the 31:33 she set in Cape Town, and her win in Durban last month (30:43) remains her best 10k result this season. However, for Shaba, the importance of the result lay not so much in the three-second difference, but in the confidence gained from competing against one of the fastest women on the African running track.