Small of stature but a giant at heart, Tadu Teshome Nare, raced to an emphatic victory at the 2022 SPAR Grand Prix 10km race at Green Point in Cape Town this morning (Sunday 23 October) to seal her top position in the Grand Prix rankings and claim one of the biggest prizes in South African road running.
The 21-year-old Ethiopian claimed her fifth victory in the six-city series to walk away with the R195 000 jackpot as series winner. Added to her five individual R30 000 prizes for winning each event and R25 000 for her single second place in Gqeberha, Nare pocketed a weighty R370 000 from the 2022 series – apart from additional sponsorship incentives from her club, Nedbank Running Club.
Running in perfect conditions following windy weather on the eve of the race, Nare took time to get into her stride before scorching home in the second half to win by 25 seconds in 31 min 53 sec. And in a great day for young Ethiopians, teenager Selam Gebre chalked up her first win over Helalia Johannes to claim second position following a sprint finish on the Green Point track against the Namibian veteran.
Just 7 days after running the Cape Town Marathon, which she quit just 3km from home, Gebre looked surprisingly fresh, missing her personal best by just one second, to clock 32:18, with Johannes completing the podium three seconds later.
Last year’s runner-up and former Grand Prix Series winner, Kesa Molotsane, pipped her Murray and Roberts teammate, Kyla Jacobs, by one second on the line to take fourth place in 33:15 and the honour of first South African home. Jacobs, fifth, ran one of the best races of her career, moving up from 9th position at halfway to clinch a 12 second personal best time for the distance.
“I love running in Cape Town,” said Nare, whose 1500m and 1 mile fastest track times and 10km best were all set in the Mother City. “I had hoped to run a personal best time under 31 minutes (her best is 31:28 set in last year’s SPAR race in Cape Town) but my legs just felt tired in the first half. But I suddenly felt stronger after halfway and felt good in the second half.”
Unlike the SPAR race in Cape Town last year, when Nare enjoyed a pillar to post solo run, winning by over two minutes ahead of Molotsane, Gebre and Johannes kept close company for 6km before Nare turned on the after-burners, to scorch home to victory.
The trio had completed the first of two 5km laps in 16:51, 9 seconds clear of the following quintet of Nedbank’s Irvette van Zyl, Molotsane, Boxer athletes Cacisile Sobiso and Dimakatso Glenrose Xabe and Zimbabwean Caroline Mhandu with Kyla Jacobs a further 20 seconds back in ninth.
The serious racing began shortly after the start of the second lap as Nare found her legs and had Johannes and Gebre breathing harder in their unequal struggle to keep in touch with the race leader. But with Nare running a remarkable second 5km split of 15:02, it proved in vain.
Gebre showed remarkable post-marathon recovery to grab second ahead of Johannes, with Jacobs sliced through the field to clinch a top-five position.
“The SPAR series has always been special,” said Jacobs. “Its value has been proven over many years and it’s also has been a fun ‘girls’ weekend away’ where we can grow friendships and test ourselves against some of the best runners in South Africa. For me it was an honour to compete today and a bonus to get a PB.”
Evergreen Pinelands athlete, Nancy Will, recorded one of the performances of the day with an impressive South African record for the 70-79 year age group of 48:50. Equally impressive was track and road Para-Olympian, Louzanne Coetzee’s 40:16 run. The totally blind Free State University athlete crossed the line in 28th place with her guide Claus Kempen.
Results
1. Tadu Nare (Nedbank) 31:53; 2. Selam Gebre (Nedbank) 32:18; 3. Helalia Johannes (Nedbank) 32:21; 4. Kesa Molotsane (Murray & Roberts) 33:15; 5. Kyla Jacobs (Murray & Roberts) 33:16; 6. Caroline Mhandu (Maxed Elite) 33:27; 7. Irvette van Zyl (Nedbank) 33:32; 8. Cacisile Sosibo (Boxer) 33:37; 9. Glenrose Xaba (Boxer) 33:51; 10. Adele Broodryk (Murray & Roberts) 35:11
Juniors
1. Selam Gebre (Nedbank) 32:18; 2. Cheniquw Sas (Retail Capital Langa) 41:53; 3. Ela Meiring (Wild Runner Athletic Club) 42:26
Masters 40-49yrs
1. Helalia Johannes ( Nedbank) 32:21; 2. Ntombesintu Mfunzi (Nedbank) 37:11; 3. Jenna Challenor (Murray & Roberts) 37:19
Masters 50-59yrs
1. Marili Munnik (Murray & Roberts) 40:18; 2. Janene Carey (Murray & Roberts) 40:23; 3. Ronel Thomas (Boxer) 40:56
Masters 60-69yrs
1.Judy Bird (Murray and Roberts) 41:39; 2. Karen Brough (Murray & Roberts) 48:14; 3. Vivienne Williams (ATC Running) 48:35
Masters 70-79yrs
1.Nancy Will (Pinelands) 48:50 (SA Record); 2. Veronica van Niekerk (EGA) 54:59; 3. Maureen Verster (Century City) 57:30
