Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 52, November 2013 | Seite 36
Race Report
Ethiopia tops in Jozi!
Spar Women’s Challenge 10km & 5km,
Johannesburg, 13 October
With a new route in the leafy suburbs of Illovo designed
by long-time Spar Challenge runner Sonja Laxton, who ran
her 80th Spar race here, the Jo’burg leg saw 11 000 runners
and walkers experience some of the most beautiful gardens
in the city, while the ?nal leg of the 2013 series also saw a
foreign visitor take line honours. – BY LAUREN VAN DER VYVER
I
t was a Nedbank clean-sweep of the podium in the ?nal leg of the Spar Women’s
Challenge as Ethopian Gezashigh Hunduma Gemeda ?nished ?rst in 33:49, followed
home by Rene Kalmer (34:31) and Rutendo Nyahora (35:00). Gezashigh, who only
arrived in SA a day before the race, surged into the lead after catching Nyahora and
Kalmer at the 3km mark. For Rene, Gezashigh’s inclusion was unexpected, but she took
on the challenge. “It is slightly bittersweet to lose to a foreigner running in my own club
colours, but it is always good to test yourself against world class runners,” she said. “I
didn’t know what to expect from Gezashigh, because I haven’t run against her before,
but I tried my very best and I am pleased with the way I ran.”
Despite ?nishing outside the top 10 on the day, Pretoria and Durban champ Mapaseka
Makhanya still grabbed an overall Spar Grand Prix victory, walking away with the keys to
a new Nissan Micra. She had built a subs [?X[ ?[? ?XY[? H ?]?[?\?;? ]?HY??? B??\?Y\?[? ?[??\?]\\??] H?[??[??[??&]?]?\?\? ?HZ\??Y H??[??\?\??Y? YH ?H?YH[??\?K?YX[??[K ?]H?Y? \??[?]? LH ?[??\??[? ?[?\???H\?Y?]Y ?X?H?\?] K?XX????X??\?KH ?\ ???\????X\??[??\??]Y[? ? ?X?Z]?YH ?X??[?X[?\]YH [??? ??[??][?????H[? ?[? ????][???XZ?B?XY ??^?\?Y?? [? [XH?[YYK??[?H?[Y\?[?????[XH??X?\? ???H?Z\?\??\B??H ?\?]?\H???Y][K????\H???] HX\?]? ? L?K ???\ [X?\???\?^\?Y?\? ???Y??HY?Z[??[[??X?H[?[?Z[??H?[ H ?[? \?[ ?[??H^H]?Y?? H ?[??[??? B??\H???] HX\?]?[? L?K[? H ?X??;? Y[???\?
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