by AKANI CHAUKE
Executive Editor
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – AROUND 200 runners will contest the fourth race in the Spar Grand Prix series in the South African capital, Tshwane, on Friday.
In-form Ethiopian runner, Tadu Nare, will again be the favourite after winning every race in this year’s series thus far.
She has built a commanding lead in the Spar Grand Prix ladder.
Title holder, Namibian Helalia Johannes, has withdrawn from Friday’s race but her Nedbank teammate and three times Spar Grand Prix winner, Irvette van Zyl, will be running her first race in the series this year, after recovering from injury.
Other runners to look out for include Kesa Molotsane (Murray & Roberts), who won the South African cross country title in Durban last weekend, Comrades Marathon winner Gerda Steyn (Nedbank), Fortunate Chidzivo (Retail Capital), who is second on the Spar Grand Prix table, and rising star Cian Oldknow (Murray & Roberts), who came third in Cape Town earlier this month.
Wynand Breytenbach, the race director, said the route would be very different this year.
“Because of the limited numbers, we can run it entirety in the grounds of the Agricultural Research Farm.”
There will be three laps, with three turning points and the runners anticipated to be able to see each other all the time.
“It is an enclosed area, so there will be no traffic. It won’t be a fast race but it will be an interesting one. It will be a rural rather than an urban race,” Breytenbach said.
Because of COVID-19 restrictions, there will be no spectators.
– CAJ News