Glenrose Xaba rocked the road on Sunday in a record-breaking way! Her debut Cape Town Marathon saw the athlete crowned champion of the race while setting a new course and national marathon records in the process!
Cape Town, South Africa (21 October 2024) — Cape Town roads were filled with a kaleidoscope of sneakers, cheers of enthusiasm and songs of endurance over the weekend. It was thrilling to watch as the sea of runners charged forward, one foot in front of the other, even when everything in their bodies told them to give it a rest (you could actually see some legs shaking in protest). While each had their own reasons for participating in the Cape Town Marathon, some were gunning for the big leagues, like champs’ titles and record-breaking moments. For Glenrose Xaba, both of these feats would soon be achieved in a feat of road-rocking moments!
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South Africa’s Glenrose claimed the Women’s win with a time of 2:22:22. Thanks to her, a South African got to stand on the top tier of the podium (the men’s title went to Ethiopia’s Abdisa Tola for a time of 2:08:16). Not only this, Glenrose set a new record both for the course and for South Africa’s marathon history; taking the baton on from Gerda Steyn’s previous record which was a time of 2 hours, 24 minutes and 3 seconds.
This was Glenrose’s debut Cape Town marathon, too. But, to be fair, she is the current South African 5,000 and 10,000 metre and 10km road record holder, with an obvious knack for long-distance dominance.
Nonetheless, it’s still remarkable that she achieved the feat on her first go around the Cape Town Marathon route. Moreover, her win was one of resilience, considering the relentless winds that ensued over the weekend.
“I didn’t want to say before the race, but my goal had been the course record,” the champ shared before adding that she was shocked to have broken both the course and national record.
“I’m humbled to have taken Gerda’s South African record.”
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