After an impressive third-place finish at the Totalsports Women’s Race in Cape Town on National Women’s Day (Friday, 9 August 2024), where she competed against the exceptional Christine Njoki (Kenya) and Tadu Nare (Ethiopia), South Africa’s national record holder Glenrose Xaba is more determined than ever to seize gold at the final event of the 2024 series, the Totalsports Women’s Race in Johannesburg on Saturday, 17 August.
Xaba is confident about her prospects at the upcoming Johannesburg race. “I won’t be doing a long run during my training this week, unlike before the Cape Town race,” she shares. “My focus in Cape Town was to secure a top-three finish and have a good race—I wasn’t expecting a win. The Totalsports Women’s Races are well-organized, and the vibe is good. These races are mentally challenging with very tough competition, but winning one shows you have real courage. My goal is to win the Totalsports Women’s Race in Johannesburg this Saturday, especially since I missed out on the race last year.”
Representing Boxer Athletic Club, Xaba has previously claimed gold at the Totalsports Women’s Race in Johannesburg in 2022, and twice at the Durban event in 2019 and 2018. However, the path to victory won’t be easy this Saturday, as she faces tough competition from the likes of Ethiopia’s Diniya Kedir Abaraya and others.
As a member of the Nedbank Running Club’s supported development training camp in Ethiopia and under the guidance of coach Belay Hagos, Diniya Kedir Abaraya made an impressive debut at the 2024 Totalsports Women’s Race by signing up for all three events. Abaraya secured a 4th place finish in Durban on Sunday, 4 August, followed by a 5th place finish in Cape Town on Friday, 9 August 2024.
Abraya is pleased with her performance in the two races so far and is eager to compete in Johannesburg, where she hopes to improve her time. "It’s been a very successful and rewarding experience," says Abraya. "The competition was strong in both races, but the wind did slow us down. I really enjoyed racing alongside such a large crowd of women in two well-organized events. It’s incredible to compete with so many women. In Johannesburg, I’m aiming to run a strong race and take the win."
"We’re incredibly proud to be wrapping up the 2024 Totalsports Women’s Race series in Johannesburg, the final chapter of what has been a remarkable journey across three major cities,” says Michael Meyer, Managing Director of Stillwater Sports. “This series is not just about competition; it’s a celebration of women’s strength and resilience, and a powerful platform to support PinkDrive. Watching South Africa’s National Record Holder, Glenrose Xaba and Ethiopia’s Diniya Kedir Abaraya compete for gold amidst such strong competition is going to be truly inspiring. We’re excited to welcome a record-breaking field to the start line in Joburg and can’t wait to close this season on a high note, as we honour women and their incredible achievements”.
EVENT INFORMATION: Totalsports Women’s Race Johannesburg 2024
ENTER: www.totalsportswomensrace.co.za, www.webtickets.co.za or any Pick ‘n Pay store nationwide.
CHARITY SUPPORT: The Totalsports Women’s Race proudly supports PinkDrive. When registering online for the event, runners have the option to support PinkDrive by donating to the cause. PinkDrive will offer free clinical breast examinations in each city, along with the opportunity to consult with a PinkDrive nurse for general medical advice. Runners can also visit PinkDrive’s “Shop4Cancer” at each event, where they can deck themselves out in pink gear to show their support for this worthy cause and run with pride. For more information on PinkDrive visit www.pinkdrive.org
IMPRESSIVE PRIZE PURSE: The Totalsports Women’s Race boasts an impressive, combined prize purse of R 412,500.00 in 2024. With the race now spanning three separate days in three different cities (Durban, Cape Town and Johannesburg), the level of action and excitement will be higher than ever. The prize purse will be split evenly between each of the three races, with each race being allocated a total of R137,500.00. Prize money will be awarded to the top 10 finishers in the Open Category, with the winner receiving R30,000, the runner-up R20,000, and the 3rd place finisher R15,000. Additionally, prize money will also be allocated to the top 3 finishers in the following categories: Junior, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, and 70+.
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For more information on PinkDrive visit www.pinkdrive.org For further information on the Totalsports Women’s Race visit www.totalsportswomensrace.co.za
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