Tadu Nare completes back-to-back 10km victories

Nare maintained her lead from the very beginning until the finish line, completing the race in an impressive time of 31 minutes and 26 seconds at the Kings Park Stadium.

Following closely behind her compatriot, Salem Gabre who secured a second place, crossing the finish line in 31:37. Glenrose Xaba was the first South African to complete the race, achieving a personal best of 31:55, her third PB in 10km this year. The outcome mirrored the same order as the race held in Gqeberha last month.

The weather conditions were ideal, providing a perfect setting for an exhilarating race, and the runners exceeded all expectations with their exceptional performances. Speaking through an interpreter, Nare said she was comfortable in the race.

"Thank you very much, it was very comfortable. It's not like the previous race where there are hills. The road was very comfortable," she said.

Having secured consecutive victories in Gqeberha and Durban, Nare finds herself on course to claim her third consecutive Grand Prize title and the accompanying R200 000 prize money.

However, she can’t help but express surprise at the struggles faced by South African athletes despite their access to top-notch training and sponsors, a luxury she lacks in her homeland of Ethiopia.

She believes that SA athletes should win the series, not outsiders. 

"I work very hard; I train very hard and I didn't even make the time that I deserve. I'm training very intensively, I haven't achieved my goal, I'm not even near," Nare added.

"What I will advice for South African athletes is, you have a nice pitch, you have a nice stadium and better facilities. We don't even have a place to train in Ethiopia, you have all these facilities. South African athletes need to work hard, they have all the facilities and they have to get better results."

Despite initially feeling unwell, Xaba managed to recover, ultimately securing a well-deserved place on the podium. She dedicated her remarkable performance to her coach, Caster Semenya and her manager, Violet Raseboya. Initially, she doubted her chances of making it onto the podium as her body began to experience discomfort. However, she persevered and held on to her third-place finish.

"I'm very happy with the race but at the beginning, I was not feeling very well. My body was not responding very well but I'm happy that I was able to run a good time. I'm very happy with my work and my coach," said Xaba.