Glenrose Xaba to skip her Cape Marathon title defence again

Xaba stunned the country when she won the Cape Town Marathon on her debut in 2024, smashing both the national and course records in a historic performance. However, she will not be lining up when the race takes place on 23 May after organisers moved it from its traditional October slot.

Last year, she also skipped her defence to compete at the Valencia Marathon in Spain, where she impressed with a sixth-place finish against a world-class field. 

She believes the new May date does not fit into her carefully planned international programme and admits she preferred the old calendar.

"The Cape Town Marathon is so early. Maybe if it was in October, I was maybe going to try and defend my title. My focus right now is on the half marathon and just improving my time in that event."

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The South African marathon record holder says her primary target this season is the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships, set to take place in Copenhagen on 20 September.

Xaba is eager to measure herself against the very best in the world as she sharpens her speed and endurance over the 21.1km distance. 

She believes a strong showing there will set the tone for the rest of her international campaign.

The Boxer Running Club senior athlete faces a packed season as she also aims to reclaim the Spar Women's 10km Grand Prix crown and become the most successful runner in the series with a fourth title.

Balancing road races, international commitments and recovery periods will be crucial, and Xaba admits her final programme will depend on how the calendar unfolds.

"So far, I don't know. I t will depend on the schedule my manager sets up for me because I need to try my best to run more overseas. That is where more of the competition is based and that will give me more opportunities when it comes to the higher level."

The national 10km record holder has already secured qualification for the Commonwealth Games in both the 5 000m and 10 000m events. 

The Games are scheduled from 23 July to 2 August, and she will decide closer to the time which distance to contest.

It is expected to be her final major appearance on the track before she transitions fully to road running in pursuit of global marathon success.