Glenrose Xaba, the reigning Gqeberha champion and current Spar Grand Prix titleholder, is a favorite to defend her title in the Women's 10km Gqeberha Championship, which will take place on Saturday at Pollock Beach in Summerstrand.
Xaba finds herself in an unexpectedly advantageous position to contend for a historic fourth Spar Grand Prix title, as the series moves to Pollock Beach in Gqeberha on Saturday. After two dominant years in the five-stage national series, Xaba's campaign in 2026 has faced unusual hurdles.
Rising star Tyla Kavanagh set an early season benchmark by winning with the maximum number of points in Cape Town (31:33) and Durban (31:32). The situation was complicated by Xaba having to miss the Durban stage due to international competition commitments.
Nevertheless, despite missing one-third of the series so far, Xaba trails only one point behind second place and is within striking distance of the leader. Her victory in the Tshwane stage, where she set a course record with a time of 32:28, brought her back into contention with 59 points. She is just one point behind Kavanagh (60 points) and also behind teammate from Boxer Athletics Club, current series leader Katsisile Sosibo (80 points), who finished fourth in Tshwane with a time of 34:39.
Xaba's recent form suggests that defeating her this weekend will be extremely difficult. Both Xaba and Sosibo are returning to home soil after participating in elite international competitions at the World Road Running Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark. Xaba posted an impressive 13th place in the women's half marathon, finishing in 1:07:49—the second fastest time in her career for the 21km distance. Sosibo finished 70th with a time of 1:14:00. While Kavanagh was South Africa's top representative—breaking the national record in the women's 5km race with a time of 14:51—she chose to remain in Europe to focus on the track and road season there.
Katsisile Sosibo, the current leader of the 2026 Grand Prix standings, will face serious competition from teammate Boxer Glenrose Xaba in the Spar women's 10km race in Gqeberha. Xaba brings a high level of international preparation right onto the coast of Nelson Mandela Bay. Xaba stated: 'I am ready for Gqeberha and look forward to enjoying every kilometer. My preparation went well because I was also preparing for the World Championships.'
Sosibo's outstanding consistency, confirmed by a total score of 80 points earned from fifth place in Cape Town and fourth in Durban and Tshwane, makes her a formidable rival. However, international athletes will also participate in the race. Ethiopian threat Selam Gebre (Nedbank), trailing Xaba by only one point with 58 points, has made her presence known by chasing the leaders in the final stages.
Gebre noted: 'The competition is very intense. I have to give my all, and I am happy to be back in the fight for the podium.' Three-time Grand Prix champion Irvet van Zyl adds depth to the packed field of participants. Runners will also have to account for the new configuration route, which includes a 37-meter climb before a fast descent and a flat finish sprint.
Since only the final stage in Johannesburg remains after this weekend, Xaba's victory in Gqeberha will completely change the leaderboard and put her on the path to a record-breaking fourth Grand Prix crown.
