Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 64, November 2014 | Page 48

Ma Race Report

SISTERS
Seal Spar Series

SPAR Women’s 10km & 5km
Challenge, Johannesburg,
12 October

F

inishing fifth in 35:21 on the day was enough
for Diana-Lebo to make 100% of the Grand Prix win
for 2014 thanks largely to wins in Cape Town and Port
Elizabeth earlier in the series, but she was still relieved to
have won the title and the Nissan Micra. “It’s the biggest
prize and it is a wonderful motivator! When you don’t
feel like training, you think of that prize and it makes it
easier to hit the road.” She added that she’s happy to
share her prize with her sister: “We’re twins, so we share
whatever we have,” but Lebogang quipped back quickly
that she’ll be pushing to claim her own car in 2015!
Lebogang wins it in 33:34.

SISTER ACT

The twins set the pace right from the start on a cool,

overcast morning in Illovo, with Lebogang pulling clear
after 2km to eventually win in 33:34. Nedbank’s Rutendo
Nyahora crossed the line seven seconds adrift. “I knew
that I had to hang in there and end well, because
Rutendo finishes fast,” said Lebogang. Third home
was Lesotho’s Mamorallo Tjoko, a further two seconds
back, while Irvette Van Zyl, who won the Pretoria leg in
August, was fourth in 34:58, followed by Diana-Lebo.
Three-time Grand Prix winner, Modern Athlete’s Rene
Kalmer, finished sixth in 36:02, an outstanding result
after her ninth place and PB in the Berlin Marathon a few
weeks earlier.
Around 13,000 runners and walkers took part in the
10km Challenge and 5km fun run, with R50,000 of the
proceeds from the race going to breast cancer support
group Reach for Recovery.

Images: Reg Caldecott

The Phalula twins had much to celebrate after the Jo’burg leg of the SPAR Women’s series as Lebogang picked up
another victory after her recent comeback and Diana-Lebo secured the overall Spar Grand Prix victory and the brand new
car.