Adnaan Mohamed in Durban
Like a thoroughbred let loose on a sunlit racetrack, Glenrose Xaba is galloping toward greatness—her legs pounding with purpose, her heart set on history.
The Mpumalanga-born distance running sensation has already scorched her way to two successive victories in the 2025 SPAR Grand Prix Series, and now, with three races to go, she stands on the brink of a rare and remarkable hat trick.
But for Xaba, the Grand Prix finish line isn’t the final destination—it’s a springboard. As she slices through city streets and past international rivals, her true dream lies half a world away on the Olympic-blue track of Tokyo’s Olympic Stadium, where she hopes to don the green and gold at the World Athletics Championships this September.
“I’ve already qualified for the marathon,” she says, voice steady like a metronome at the end of another blistering 10km.
“But I want to be on that track. The 5000m or 10,000m—that’s where my heart is.”
And her form suggests she’s ready to trade tar for tartan. Earlier this month, she clocked a sizzling personal best of 15:10.42 over 5000m in Paris—proof that her speed hasn’t been dulled by the endurance grind of marathon training. She’s gliding across both terrains like a comet with a cause.
Her most recent triumph in Durban, where she cruised to victory in 31:54, was a masterclass in patience and precision. Letting the Ethiopian duo of Diniya Abaraya and Selam Gebre set the early tempo, Xaba tucked in like a predator biding her time.
When the moment came—just after the 6km mark—she pounced with a sudden, searing burst of pace that left her competitors scrambling in her slipstream.
Podium Finishers in Durban: Diniya Abaraya, Glenrose Xaba and Selam Gebre Photo: Adnaan Mohamed
“I haven’t had much time to recover from racing in Europe,” she admitted, her face glistening with a mix of sweat and satisfaction.
“But I’m blessed to win, especially here in Durban. I’ve never won this leg before. Today, I ran for my mother—I missed her birthday while I was away, so this win is my gift to her.”
Xaba now leads the Grand Prix standings as the caravan rolls on to Tshwane, Gqeberha, and Johannesburg. The R200,000 purse and Hyundai car are glittering prizes, but what fuels her is deeper: unfinished business and a burning belief that her best is still ahead.
“The next big step is the Durban 10K on 13 July. If I can win there, it might boost my world ranking enough to get me into Tokyo on the track,” she says with the kind of conviction that turns dreams into destiny.
With the poise of a panther and the drive of a diesel engine, Glenrose Xaba is not merely chasing medals—she’s chasing meaning. And as the road bends toward September, all signs point to Tokyo.
