Glenrose Xaba chases 10km series crown after smashing another record

The 29-year-old long-distance star shattered Elana Meyer’s long-standing 21km national record by clocking 1:10:03 at the ASA Road Running Championships in Phalaborwa, Limpopo, which also served as the Foskor 21km race.

Meyer’s previous record of 1:10:44 had stood since 1999.

Last year, Xaba also broke Meyer’s 10km record by a single second, running 31:12 in Durban.

Now, with another national milestone under her belt, she’s more motivated than ever to defend her Grand Prix crown.

"The Spar season is always exciting and it is always an opportunity for me to win titles, but also to inspire the next generation of athletes, and motivate black women to pursue running," said the record breaker. 

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Xaba, who trains under Olympic champion Caster Semenya, told SABC Sport she still has two overseas races left in the 5000m and 10 000m events.

These will be crucial as she looks to qualify for the World Senior Championships in Tokyo, Japan, later this year.

This follows her back-to-back outings in the Spar 10km and Absa Run Your City 10km races in Tshwane.

Despite the sweltering Limpopo heat, Xaba claimed her sixth consecutive national half-marathon title in style.

The record-breaking victory saw her complete the national set, as she now holds South African records in the marathon, 10km, and 21km events.

Breaking Elana Meyer’s records twice is a rare and humbling achievement.

Xaba says surpassing the marks set by one of South Africa’s greatest distance runners is an inspiration—and a responsibility she takes seriously.