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IOL News
12 hours ago
- Sport
- IOL News
Why Lebo Phalula feels the Comrades Marathon isn't for elite athletes
Lebo Phalula after the Cape Town leg of the SPAR Women's 10km Challenge earlier this year, where she finished fifth. Image: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images Veteran distance runner Lebo Phalula says that running the Comrades Marathon is the furthest thing from her mind, insisting the renowned ultra-marathon is for social runners. The evergreen 41-year-old has been a prominent figure in South African athletics for decades, alongside her twin sister Lebogang, and she is showing no sign of slowing down. On Sunday, she was the first veteran runner home in the Durban leg of the SPAR Women's 10km Challenge, clocking a time of 36:19, despite recently recovering from swine flu. The race was won by fellow Boxer Athletics Club runner Glenrose Xaba (31:54). While she finished outside the top 10 this time, Phalula has enjoyed an impressive season so far, continuing to outrun some of South Africa's top young road-running talent. The highlight to date was a remarkable third-place finish in the Absa Run Your City race in Cape Town in May. She also secured fifth place in the opening Cape Town leg of the SPAR Grand Prix. Well-known twin sisters Lebogang and Lebo Phalula will not be seen together on the road for a while. Image: RAJESH JANTILAL Yet, taking part in the Ultimate Human Race is still regarded as folly by the runner known for her sharp tongue and devilish sense of humour. 'I think Comrades is for social runners. I'm an elite athlete, I'm not a social runner. I can't run 90km from six to six. I'm mentally okay upstairs,' she said, to howls of laughter from the gathered media at the post-race briefing in Durban. 'I'm not saying they are mentally disturbed, but Comrades is for social runners, not elite athletes.' Playing the long game Phalula suggested that she owed her longevity in the sport to the fact that she avoided the ultra-marathons. 'I've been running since I was a sub-youth. If you check, all those people who have been winning Comrades, they've got 10 years of running. They started now-now,' she said. 'Do you think I can run that thing at this age and think I'm going to win Comrades? My body is tired. I don't have the energy to run from six to six. I only run now for 30 minutes, then I'm done. 'This thing of running Comrades and the Two Oceans Marathon ... no, no, no. I'm mentally okay.' Another South African running legend, Zola Budd-Pieterse, had apparently expressed the desire to run the Ultimate Human Race at age 50 (she is now 58), after repeated questions about it. There were even suggestions that she would run this year's race, but that came to nought. Phalula was asked if that could also be a goal for her at the same age. 'Even if I'm a 100, I will never,' she said. 'This thing is not for elite athletes — it's for people who started running now. People who didn't do their sub-youth running, world juniors, and world cross-country champs. Those people who don't have those major events — they've only got Comrades and Two Oceans.' Even the massive prize money on offer is not enough to tempt the diminutive ace. This year's Comrades women's race winner, Gerda Steyn, reportedly pocketed over R1.6 million in prize money alone. An uphill battle 'I've been running since I was young. I know what I want in life. Those Comrades people are not serious. I don't want to lie, I can't run for 90km and run 10km uphill or 3km climbing a hill. It's not in my mind,' Phalula insisted. Phalula seems to be enjoying life in the absence of her equally famous sister, who is set to return to the circuit in August after giving birth. But what about her long-term plans? Is she considering retirement any time soon? 'I thought I had two years left before retiring to focus on the athletes I'm training. But I still run like a youngster, so it's not going to be easy for me to retire now,' Phalula said. 'You're still going to see more of Phalula evergreen, as you all say.' Her immediate goal is to recover fully before targeting a sub-32-minute time in the remaining 10km road races this year.
IOL News
a day ago
- Sport
- IOL News
Xaba eyes World Champs track qualification despite road dominance
Glenrose Xaba won the SPAR Women's 10km Challenge Durban race on Sunday at Kings Park Stadium in a time of 31:54. Photo: Supplied Image: Darren Stewart Glenrose Xaba is still hoping to qualify for the 5 000m and 10 000m at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo in September, although the marathon remains a viable option for the in-form road and track star. Xaba revealed her ambitions for the global athletics showpiece after storming to victory in the Durban leg of the SPAR Women's 10km Challenge on Sunday, clocking 31:54. The Boxer Athletics Club ace made light work of the challenge posed by Ethiopian duo Diniya Abaray (32:09) and an out-of-sorts Selam Gebre (32:25), who settled for second and third respectively. The holder of the SPAR Grand Prix title — and early favourite to retain it this year — took control of the Durban race shortly after the 7km mark. Her rivals could not live with her searing pace over the closing stages and ultimately finished well behind. Athletics star Glenrose Xaba is still hoping to qualify for the 5 000m and 10 000m at the world champs in Tokyo later this year. Photo: Backpagepix Image: BackpagePix Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ It was Xaba's second win of this year's series, having already claimed the opening leg in Cape Town. While she has been virtually untouchable on the road in 2024, with three 10km titles to her name, Xaba still longs to replicate the success her coach and mentor, Caster Semenya, enjoyed on the track at the World Championships. The 800m legend is also a two-time Olympic gold medallist. "My plan is to qualify for the 5 000m and 10 000m on the track at any event where I can qualify because I've already qualified for the marathon," she said in the aftermath of her win in Durban. "If I don't achieve the standard in the 5 000m and 10 000m, then I'll switch to the marathon just to represent the country at the World Champs The versatile athlete recently returned from an international trip in pursuit of qualification for the two track events. "My first race was a fast 5 000m in Paris, France. It went very well, according to plan," she said. "We can do much better in training, but if you don't get a very fast race then you won't run quick. But I was able to grab a personal best of 15:10 (15:10.62) and I'm happy with what I achieved in France." "Then I tried again to qualify over my favourite distance, the 10 000m, in The Netherlands. I ran my best there, but the ladies were not very quick and I was pushing the pace. "I ended up third, but I got experience and learnt a lot. When it comes to international track and field, I hope that I can get a lot of fast races so that I can improve on my times." Despite her dominance on the road, with a hat-trick of recent 10km titles, Xaba knows she cannot afford to ease up. "My third 10km race win makes me work harder and not relax. One win does not mean that you've achieved. It means that you've got to work harder because others, they are also training, they want to be like you, and it means you need to put in extra hard work," she concluded.
IOL News
3 days ago
- Sport
- IOL News
Glenrose Xaba blows field away again to clinch maiden Durban SPAR Women's 10km Challenge
Glenrose Xaba (Boxer) won her career first SPAR Women's 10km Challenge Durban race on Sunday at Kings Park Stadium in a time of 31:54. Image: Darren Stewart / Gallo Images Glenrose Xaba was in imperious form once again as the Boxer Athletics Club runner stormed to victory in the Durban leg of the SPAR Women's 10km Challenge on a sunny but chilly Sunday morning, in a time of 31:54. Ethiopian 19-year-old Diniya Abaraya did well to finish second (32:09) while her compatriot (Nedbank Running Club) Selam Gebre finished third (32:31). Hollywood Athletics Club runners Neheng Khatala (32:31) and local favourite Tayla Kavanagh (32:32) finished fourth and fifth. The top five women all dipped under 33 minutes in a fast race. Gebre had pushed defending Grand Prix series winner Xaba hard in the opening leg in Cape Town, and it looked like that would be the case again after a typically fast start by the Boxer runner. Xaba and the Ethiopian duo broke clear of the early pacesetters after 2km and the South African seemed prepared to bide her time, looking comfortable tucked just behind the Nedbank runners. Glenrose Xaba leading at the 7km mark of the Durban leg of the SPAR Women's 10km Challenge on Sunday. Image: Darren Stewart / Gallo Images Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading However, the South African road and track star hit the front near the 4km mark as the gap to the chasing pack widened. When Xaba decided to kick near the 7km mark, the Ethiopians were unable to respond, with Gabre visibly struggling as she dropped further back. Abaraya's challenge was also fading fast. Xaba didn't take her foot off the accelerator in the closing stages as she breasted the tape at the finish at the Kings Park Rugby Stadium outer fields well clear of her rivals on the out-in course. The runner, who is coached and mentored by former Olympic 800m star Caster Semenya, is looking invincible after staking an early claim for a potential series repeat. "My race today was okay from the beginning because I was planning to go with them (Gebre and Abaraya) for about 4km because the last two weeks I was racing internationally and never got so much recovery time," she said at the post-match media conference. "I'm very happy with the time that I ran today. It's a blessing to win the Durban leg of the series because I've never won it. I was always number two or three, or further back in the top 10." The top three finishers of the SPAR Women's 10km Challenge Durban on Sunday at Kings Park Stadium are, from left, second-placed Ethiopian Diniya Abaraya (Nedbank), race winner Glenrose Xaba (Boxer) and third-placed Selam Gebre (Nedbank) of Ethiopia. Image: Darren Stewart / Gallo Images "It was wonderful weather, good conditions," Abaraya said. "We pushed one another and I'm happy with the result and I want to congratulate Glenrose for this great achievement." Gebre had looked spent at the finish, collapsing after crossing the line. "I was feeling a bit under the weather. I had a severe headache and I couldn't control myself but I had to push myself and see how far I could go," she explained. "And I managed to finish third, so it's a bonus for me and I'm very happy with the result." The evergreen Lebo Phalula also braved illness to win the veteran (40-49) age category in a time of 36:19. "Today was not a good day at the office," she admitted afterwards. "Coming back from swine flu, my body couldn't respond very well because I was very sick the last two weeks." The Boxer Athletics Cub veteran said she had considered quitting at the 5km mark but decided to soldier on. Meanwhile, rising 21-year-old star Zanthe Taljaard finished in a credible eighth place in a time of 34:02, improving on her 10th place finish in the Cape Town leg of the series. Congrats to the podium finishers at the Durban SPAR Women's Challenge 10km: Left to right: Diniya Abaraya (2nd 32:09), Glenwose Xaba (1st 31:54) and Selam Gebre (3rd 32:25). Photos by Rogan Ward@SPARGrandPrix #SPARkleAndShine🌟🌟 #SPARWomensChallenge #Twenty20Thrive — SPAR Ladies Race KZN (@SPARLadiesRace) June 22, 2025
