Race Messages
Charlene
Alan
Stapleton
Sponsorships and Events Manager , SPAR Eastern Cape
After having the privilege of hosting the final leg of the 2021 SPAR Women ’ s Challenge Grand Prix Series in Gqeberha , it is now an even bigger privilege for Gqeberha to host the opening leg of the event in 2022 .
Subbarayan
The SPAR Group National Events and Sponsorship Manager
The SPAR Group is delighted to present the SPAR Grand Prix again this year .
Our first race is in Gqeberha on Saturday 28 May , and this marks the start of a full six-race series that continues in Durban , Tshwane , Johannesburg , Cape Town and our first ever race in Mbombela , over a period of five months .
The SPAR Grand Prix is one of the core sponsorship properties of SPAR and is widely recognised as a leading model for such a series . The SPAR Grand Prix is also a key component in the competition schedules of all of South Africa ’ s elite female middle distance athletes , firstly because of the massive prize money available across the series – R1.7 million – but also the opportunity to compete against top African athletes who travel to our country in search of world-class races .
We welcome everyone and hope you all have a wonderful seriesstarting race in the “ Friendly City ,” and a successful racing season .
This is the year in which the world is slowly opening up , and we are excited to once again welcome a field of top South African and international professional athletes , as well as a group of leading local runners , to a 2x5km looped route at the Nelson Mandela University .
In 2021 , we were blown away by the quality of the field of athletes , and particularly by Tadu Nare ’ s dominance , but blunted by the power of the Gqeberha winds . Hopefully this year , we will be able to welcome all to a still and beautiful calm wintery morning , on a route that should embrace records and personal bests .
The Women ’ s Challenge , SPAR ’ s flagship sponsorship has created an opportunity for us to celebrate women , their beauty , their power and their courage , and in so doing , underline SPAR ’ s commitment to raising awareness of , and creating a call to end the scourge of Gender-based Violence .
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