by AKANI CHAUKE
PRETORIA, (CAJ News) – DEFENDING champion, Tadu Nare, is well positioned to repeat her success of last year in the Spar Grand Prix Women’s 10km race.
Her latest victory in the series came on Saturday when she won the Tshwane leg of the competition to lead the table on 119 points.
The Ethiopian’s closest rival and predecessor, Helalia Johannes, suffered a setback after inability to change her flights from the United Kingdom to allow her to run in the South African capital city.
Namibian Johannes has subsequently dropped to fourth.
Their Nedbank teammate, Ethiopian teenager Selam Gebre, is in second position with 113 points.
Gebre finished third in the first three races and came second in Tshwane.
The teenager also heads the junior category, with a total of 20 points.
The 2017 Spar Grand Prix winner, Kesa Molotsane, has moved up into third position on the log with 91 points.
Johannes is three points behind her, with 88 points.
Three-time champion Irvette van Zyl has bounced back to fifth.
She won in Gqeberha and was second in Durban and Mbombela.
Johannes initially said she would miss the race in Tshwane because she was defending her Commonwealth Games marathon title in the UK.
However, she was a surprise late entry for the South African race, but was unable to change her flights.
Johannes has also dropped places in the over 40 category behind Janie Grundling.
The next race is in Johannesburg on October 2. The final race is in Cape Town on October 23.
– CAJ News