Glenrose Xaba shines again with victory at Hollywood Durban 10K

Glenrose Xaba continued with her good vein of form to win the Hollywoodbets Durban 10km race on Saturday morning, the Boxer Athletic Club coming close to her national record.

The Boxer Athletic Club star crossed the finish line in 31:34, just 22 seconds short of the South African mark she set in the coastal city last year during the Absa Run Your City.

Xaba beat defending champion Neheng Khathala of Lesotho and Kenya’s Fridah Ndinda into second (31:44) and third (33:05) places respectively, in a victory that cemented her standing as a top class 10km runner. This, after all, is her second successive victory in a week after she won the Absa Run Your City Tshwane last Sunday. She had preceded that with success in the Spar Challenge in Tshwane.

She actually felt she could have gotten much closer to the record had it not been for the races coming so close to one another.

Xaba Triumphs at Hollywoodbets Durban 10K, Earns R37,500 Prize

“Today I made it to be the first one crossing the finish line,” she said during the post-race conference at the Hollywoodbets Kingsmead Stadium “I only lost out on my SA record in the last four hundred meters. I just could not make it. I think the hills of Tshwane were still in my legs,” she chuckled.

That factor notwithstanding, Xaba swelled her bank balance by a cool R37 500, the biggest pay-cheque in local 10km racing.

“I am very happy about the win. I’d never won it (the Hollywoodbets Durban 10K). The first time when I did it in 2022, I came second. Cacisile (Sosibo) just beat me when we came to the finish. The race was good and the atmosphere was also good because of the supporters. The people of KZN are amazing and I really enjoyed the course and the race.”

Kabelo Mulaudzi Finishes Second in Men’s Race, Thabang Mosiako Eyes Marathon Success

In the men’s race, Xaba’s teammate at Boxer Athletic Club Kabelo Mulaudzi could not emulate her as he finished second behind Lesotho’s Kamohelo Mofolo who sprinted into the lead from the onset and never looked back to win in 27:58.

Mulaudzi, a winner at last weekend’s Absa race, crossed the finish line in 28:01 with South African Half Marathon champion Thabang Mosiako of Nedbank Running Club taking third place two seconds thereafter.

Mosiako’s delight at his run knew no bounds as he feels it bodes well for his second assault at the full marathon later in the year. The lad from Potchefstroom is registered to run the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon having made his debut in the 42.195km distance in Abu Dhabi last year.

“I am super excited; happy with the outcome. Finishing top three after so long is really amazing; plus running 28:03 after so long - I am over the moon. Winning the SA champs brought my confidence back. I am really happy with my preparations (because)  what I trained for I was able to produce today.  The preparations for Cape Town are going well. I think I am a bit quicker than I was for last year’s marathon and maybe I must go back and do some long runs to drop the speed a bit because I am like a jaguar.”

Mosiako says all things being good, he would improve on his 2:09 from Abu Dhabi.

“If the body is okay, I am healthy enough and the weather is good, I can assure you that I will run a sub 2:09.”

IOL Sport