Glenrose Xaba caught off guard by route changes at the Absa Run Your City

Xaba was the first South African woman to cross the line, finishing fifth in a time of 31:50. 

Kenya’s Clare Ndiwa claimed victory in 30:50, followed by fellow Kenyans Janet Mutungi (30:53) and Jesca Chelangat (30:58), who completed a clean sweep of the podium.

Xaba attributed her missed opportunity to break her own national record of 31:12 to unexpected route changes, saying they disrupted her race strategy. 

She had hoped to improve on the mark she set in Durban last year but was caught off guard by this year’s adjustments.

"Yeah, eish, the pace felt fine at the start, especially in the first kilometre, but from 2km onwards, there were way more hills than last year. The 2024 route was much faster, but this year’s course was really challenging.

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There were too many climbs—it wasn’t flat at all. I think there were three, maybe even four significant climbs, and that really took a toll on the body. By the time you hit the 6km or 8km mark, it felt like a completely different route from what we expected. It was tough," Xaba told SABC Sport after finishing her race.

“I believe the course should’ve been flat from the start with no climbs, because it wasn’t the same as last year. If it had been, we all could’ve run faster times,” she explained.

Xaba admitted she may not have done enough to earn sufficient points toward qualifying for the World Athletics Championships through the ranking system in the 10,000m.

Visibly disappointed after the race, she shared her honest assessment. 

“I won’t lie—this race wasn’t good for my world ranking. It was one of the toughest I’ve run this year. My legs didn’t respond well over the last 3km, and I know I could’ve gone faster,” she said.

When asked if fatigue from a busy racing schedule a factor was, Xaba firmly dismissed the idea.

“No, I don’t think I’m tired or over-racing. I’ve been focusing more on mileage than speed in training. The problem was the hills—I’m used to flat courses, and I just couldn’t handle the climbs,” she explained.

Xaba said she plans to discuss her next steps with her coaches, Caster and Violet Semenya, with the hope of shifting her focus to the 5000m in an effort to qualify for the World Championships in Tokyo, Japan, later this year.

“I believe I'm still ranked well in the 5000m, and if I can secure a few more races in that event, it could improve my chances more than the 10 000m,” she explained. 

“I think my manager is currently trying to find a race for me."