03-08-2025
'I hope my win will motivate the next generation' — Xaba
'To win it for the third time and become the first black woman to do so will motivate the young kids that are coming after me and the young women that are looking up to me,' Xaba told the media after the race at SuperSport Park in Centurion.
'Winning the series for the third time will not be about me; it will be about the upcoming athletes and those who are training with me. They need to believe that they can do it as well. It has been a great year for me. I just thank God that I'm injury-free.'
Xaba credited her coaches, Caster Semenya and Violet Raseboya, for keeping her in shape this season.
'I just want to thank God and the people that are surrounding me, and my coaches Caster and Violet and the people that I'm working with. They are helping me when it comes to my recovery,' she said.
'When it comes to races, I need to recover very well so I can do my best. I've had a great start in the series, and I was able to keep the momentum. I'm looking forward to defending the title.'
Just last week, Xaba set a new South African half-marathon (21.1km) record of 1:10:03 at the ASA Road Running Championships in Namakgale, Phalaborwa, surpassing Elana Meyer's 1999 record of 1:10:44.
Xaba and her team are still deciding what races she should run this year, and are still uncertain whether she will run the Cape Town Marathon in October.
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