Athletics | Brilliant Xaba smashes national marathon record
Glenrose Xaba rewrote the record books when she raced to a brilliant victory in the Cape Town Marathon on Sunday, in the process making her the fastest South African woman to ever run the 42.2km distance, covering the route in 2hr 22min 22sec.
Glenrose Xaba rewrote the record books when she raced to a brilliant victory in the Cape Town Marathon on Sunday, in the process making her the fastest South African woman to ever run the 42.2km distance, covering the route in 2hr 22min 22sec.
Xaba not only tore Gerda Steyn’s previous national record mark of 2hr 24min 17sec set in Valencia last year to shreds, but she also broke the course record of Ethiopian Tsige Abreha (2:24.17 set last year).
The 29-year-old is a remarkably versatile athlete. In February she produced her personal best 800m time of 2:08.88 and she iwon four South African titles on the track and the road in 2024. She also lowered the national 10km record to 32:12. Now, she has stepped onto the international marathon stage and showed she’s a global force in her debut attempt.
In lowering Steyn’s national record to 2:22:22 on a gusty morning in Cape Town, she beat a star-studded field, with former world champion Mare Dibaba having to settle for second in 2:22:36 and Kenyan Pascalla Chepkogei third in 2:22:49.
Although they are vastly different courses, and therefore can’t be realistically compared to when it comes to times, it has to be reminded though that the Paris 2024 Olympic marathon was won by Sifan Hassan in an Olympic record 2:22:55.
Cian Oldknow, one of three Team SA athletes at Paris 2024, finished 13th on Sunday in 2:43:05.
In the men’s marathon, Abdisa Tola Adera won in 2:08:16, beating fellow Ethiopian and defending Adane Kebede Gebre by 16 seconds. Melikhaya Frans was the first South African home, in fifth with a time of 2:12:18.
TOP SA PERFORMERS
Men
5 Melikhaya Frans 2:212:18
8 Desmond Mokgubu 2:12:40
10 Puseletso Mofokeng 2:13:31
11 Abednico Mashaba 2:14:44
12 Milton Kekaba 2:14:56
15 Matlakaka Seloyi 2:16:58
Women
1 Glenrose Xaba 2:22:22
10 Emma Westensee 2:37:32
12 Jenet Mbhele 2:41:08
13 Cian Oldknow 2:43:05
14 Carla Molinaro 2:45:56
Words: Gary Lemke