Glenrose Xaba plans more marathon outings this season

Xaba recently completed two major marathon outings, winning the Cape Town Marathon in record-breaking fashion with a time of 2:22:22, before finishing sixth in her debut appearance at the Valencia Marathon.

The improved performances have also strengthened her belief that she can once again dominate the domestic road-running scene while remaining competitive internationally.

“I can say yes, I am looking forward to a great season in both the longer and shorter distance races, and hopefully a few marathons,” Xaba told the national broadcaster. “My times are improving, I am healthy, and I am happy to hit the road anytime.”

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Xaba believes her personal growth reflects a broader shift in mindset among South African distance runners, who are increasingly confident about competing with — and beating — international athletes.

“It’s not just me growing in confidence. As South Africans, we are starting to believe that we can not only run well but also compete against runners from outside the country and beat them,” she said. 

“The mindset is changing, and we believe in ourselves again. I am confident in my own ability, and others are also confident in theirs. We are doing very well as a country.”

She added that South Africa’s progress is evident on the global stage. 

“We are improving a lot as a country, not just me. At international races, we have shown great improvement at the highest level, and that makes me happy. I am confident that I can represent the country with pride and also perform well on a personal level this year.”

Beyond results, Xaba says her main goal is to challenge herself, raise the bar, and inspire the next generation of runners. 

Every time she takes to the road, she aims to motivate young athletes across the country.

This season, she is expected to have a busy calendar as she balances the Absa Run Your City Series, the Spar Women’s 10km Grand Prix, national road races, and a few marathon appearances.

Xaba is coached by Violet and Caster Semenya and trains alongside Karabo Mailula and Karabo More at the Masai Athletics Club in Tshwane.