Xaba set to defend title

An in form Glenrose Xaba is looking to keep her winning streak of 2018 going as she prepares to defend her FNB Joburg 10K CITYRUN title on National Heritage Day (Monday, 24 September).
Xaba started the season with an emphatic statement, clocking a massive personal best over the 10 000m at the Gauteng North Provincial Championships on 24 February this year, covering the 25 laps in 32:59.05. Only three South Africans have ever gone faster on the track, Elana van Zyl Meyer (30:52.51), Colleen de Reuck (31:56.00) and Dominique Scott (31:51.47). To prove that her sub 33 min clocking was no fluke, Xaba ran a personal best in a 10km in Port Elizabeth on 07 April, breaking the tape in 33:21. Since then she has been in dangerous form, never finishing below second in any of the eight 10km races she has run this year.
“My sub 33 on the track was a bit of a surprise. I knew I was in good shape, but I had no idea how good. The time showed me that I could run really well over the 10km this year which is my focus.” At the age of 24, Glenrose has no ambition to race anything beyond 10km. “I will look at the half marathon maybe in three years, but for now I want to focus on the 10km.”
“I know that course is fast and flat and there will be good competition, so I want to run my best there. It will also be the last race of the season for me. But I do want to defend my title in Joburg. It was that race that started my solid running streak, so defending the title is important to me.”
Glenrose will be defending another title this weekend, the SA 10km Cross Country Championship title in PE on Saturday, 08 September. “Cross Country is tough. It makes you tough, so it will be perfect preparation for the 24th. Also if I win again (Cross Country), I am virtually guaranteed a place on the SA Team to the World Championships in March next year.” After PE, Glenrose will have two weeks to recover before defending her FNB Joburg 10K CITYRUN title.