For the first time since 2019, the SPAR Women’s Challenge series will be back to its well-loved format, with thousands of women of all ages and abilities pounding the streets in six cities across South Africa in the 5km Fun Run and 10km Challenge.

The first event in the 2023 series takes place at Greenpoint Precinct in Cape Town on Sunday, April 23. Cape Town is excited to be celebrating the 30th anniversary of the SPAR Women’s Challenge in the city and the organisers are pulling out all the stops to ensure a festive atmosphere.

Road running legend Elana Meyer, who won the first SPAR 10km Challenge in Cape Town in 1993, will fire the gun to start the race. Meyer is one of South Africa’s most celebrated long-distance runners and holds the record for the fastest 10km by a South African woman, 31:13, which she ran in Budapest, Hungary, in 2001.

In 1992, when South Africa returned to the Olympic Games for the first time since 1960 after being banned for 32 years, Meyer won the hearts of the nation in Barcelona when she collected a silver medal in the 10 000m, finishing just behind Ethiopian Derartu Tulu.

The Cape Town race is also the first in the six-race SPAR Grand Prix 10km series and most of South Africa’s elite road runners will be there, trying to earn valuable SPAR Grand Prix points and cash in on the huge prizes on offer.

Namibian, Helalia Johannes, the 2019 SPAR Grand Prix champion will unfortunately not be in Cape Town on Sunday due to injury. However, in a boost for the race, Maxed Elite confirmed that raising Lesotho star, Mokulubete Blandina Makatisi will be racing.

Makatisi, last Sunday finished 3rd in the Women’s Two Oceans Half Marathon. Last year’s overall SPAR Grand Prix race winner, Ethiopian Tadu Nare, will not be taking part on Sunday, but the runner-up in Cape Town last year, fellow Ethiopian Selam Gebre, will be trying to emulate her Nedbank teammate by winning the overall SPAR Grand Prix, which offers a first prize of R200 000.

Two other Ethiopians, Genet Habela and Hiyane Lama will be competing in this year’s series.

Top South Africans who will be running on Sunday include former SPAR Grand Prix winners Glenrose Xaba, Lebo and Lebogang Phalula (Boxer), Kesa Molotsane (Murray & Roberts) and Mapaseka Makhanya.

There have been some key changes to the SPAR Grand Prix format this year, designed to make it more exciting. The four best performances in the six races will count for SPAR Grand Prix points, so that runners who miss up to two races because of injury or international commitments are not disadvantaged.

There are also special incentives this year for South African runners. In each of the six races the first South African across the line will receive R10 000, while the second South African will take home R5 000 in addition to the regular prize money. There’s more: in the overall SPAR Grand Prix, the South African with the most points will collect an additional R75 000 over and above the regular position prize.

2023 SPAR GRAND PRIX CALENDAR

Cape Town – Sunday, 23 April 2023 – Green Point Precinct

Gqeberha – Saturday, 27 May 2023 – Pollok Beach, Summerstrand

Durban – Sunday, 25 June 2023 – Kings Park Stadium

Mbombela – Saturday, 15 July 2023 – Mbombela Stadium

Tshwane – Saturday, 5 August 2023 – SuperSport Park

Joburg – Sunday, 1 October 2023 – Marks Park Sporting Club