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Glenrose Xaba Shatters South African and Sanlam Cape Town Marathon Records on Debut

There was delight for South Africa as Glenrose Xaba shattered the National and Sanlam Cape Town Marathon records, on marathon debut; on Sunday, 20 October. The current South African 5 000 and 10 000 meter, as well as the 10 kilometer road record holder, clocked an impressive time of 2 hours, 22 minutes, and 22 seconds, to shave 1 minute and 40 seconds off the course record (2 hours, 24 minutes, and 2 seconds) as well as a further second off Gerda Steyn’s previous best marathon time for a South African (2 hours, 24 minutes, and 3 seconds).

The 2024 men’s champion, Abdisa Tola also broke the course record – though his impressive feat was somewhat overshadowed by the South African Air Force Gripen fly over which Xaba’s performance received.

Xaba was joined on the start line by 16 800 fellow starters as well as the deepest ever field assembled for a marathon on African soil. Sadly, the Cape Doctor, as the Mother City’s prevailing summer south easterly wind is known, did not get the memo. The rest of the city pulled together though and the crowds countered the winds with raucous cheers along the route. Their applause, the support of the City of Cape Town local government, and the new record times will all aid the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon’s cause in its bid to become an Abbott World Marathon Majors event in the coming years.

The goal of Abbott World Marathon Majors status, in 2026, may still be on the horizon but Xaba’s dreams came true on the blue carpet in the shadow of the DHL Stadium. She and her fellow elite women had started fast, with the pace setters maintaining a tempo better than the record pace. Fellow South African pre-race favorite, Cian Oldknow, opted not to go with the pace makers and was out of contention for a podium place early in the piece.

One by one the women dropped from the group, but Xaba and Mare Dibaba Hurssa, in particular, ensured the pace never eased off. It was a surprise when the defending champion, Tsige Haileslase, was distanced near the 30 kilometre mark. This was the first sure sign that records would tumble.

Coming into the final 10 kilometers only Kenyna’s Pascalia Chepkogei remained in contention with the South African and the 2015 World Marathon Champion. After stretching their legs on the downwind gallop through Sea Point the top three turned for home with 4 kilometers to go. This U-turn meant they would run the closing kilometers into a headwind, which suited the powerful style of Xaba. She distanced Chepkogei and finally Dibaba Hurssa, to enter the finishing straight alone.

Soaking up the applause, Xaba crossed the line with both the South African and Sanlam Cape Town Marathon records comfortably secured. “I didn’t want to say before the race, but my goal had been the course record,” Xaba smiled. “I didn’t want to put extra pressure on myself. Even if I had finished in 2:26 I would have been happy, because this was my first marathon. But I’m honestly shocked to have broken the course and national record. I’m humbled to have taken Gerda [Steyn]’s South African record.”

Reflecting not only upon her rival’s stellar debut but also on Ruth Chepngetich’s World Record breaking run in Chicago, the week before, Dibaba Hurssa said: “The women’s marathon is getting really, really, fast. I hope that this generation will keep setting faster times and that the generation to come are inspired by them to run even quicker.”

“I was feeling really strong and my training had made me very relaxed coming into the race,” Xaba noted. “From kilometers 5 to 25 I felt good, the first 21 kilometers were basically a tempo run for me. Then for a bit until the 33 kilometer mark I had to stay strong, focused, and brave because I dropped off the front group slightly. Once I worked my way back, I felt good again and was able to push to the finish.”

“I want to thank my manager, my coaches, and my team at Caster Semenya Training Group!” the 2024 Sanlam Cape Town Marathon champion concluded.

Xaba’s margin of victory was 15 seconds over Dibaba Hurssa. Chepkogei was third, 28 seconds off Xaba’s winning time. Viola Chepngeno and Emmah Cheruto Ndiwa, both of Kenya, completed the top five places. Oldknow finished thirteenth, 20 minutes down.

In the men’s race the battle for victory went into the final kilometers too. It had seemed from early in race that the battle for victory would be fierce, but only a fast second half ensured that the course record was broken. Having set the previous best men’s time in 2018 Stephen Mokaka was the chief pace maker for the 2024 race.

He took a strong lead group through the first 25 kilometers in 1:16:47 before the attacks splintered the field. South African favorite, Melikhaya Frans was the first to surge as they passed through Observatory. His move pulled five Ethiopians clear, these included the eventual winner as well as Gaddisa Tafa Dekeba, Mitku Tafa Dekeba, Adeladlew Mamo Gebreyohannes, and Adane Kebede Gebre.

Over the next 5 kilometers the men from the mountainous nation worked Frans out of the lead group and then whittled it down to just Mitku Tafa Dekeba, the defending champion Kebede Gebre, and Tola. “Once we passed the 33 kilometer mark I knew the three of us would be battling for victory,” Mitku Tafa Dekeba reflected. “At that point I was happy it would be an Ethiopian 1, 2, and 3.”

Mitku Tafa Dekeba was the first of the three to suffer as they rounded the final bend and began the headwind slog along Beach Road in Sea Point towards the Green Point finish line. This left Kebede Gebre and Tola in a two-way tussle for the title. Striding into the wind the younger Tola brother, whose elder brother Tamirat Tola was crowned Olympic Marathon Champion in Paris, was able to dig deep and surge clear.

With the win secured Tola was able to enjoy the finish line and celebrate his new course record. Crossing the line in 2 hours, 8 minutes and 16 seconds the 24 year old did enough to shave 15 seconds off Mokaka’s six year old benchmark. Kebede Gebre had to be content with second, 16 seconds back. Mitku Tafa Dekeba completed the all-Ethiopian podium ahead of Edward Konana Koonyo, of Kenya. Frans was the first South African home in fifth.

“I earned what I trained really hard for today,” Tola acknowledged. “A lot of hard work went into this run. It was a beautiful race and I’ll certainly be back to defend my title.”

Cian Oldknow and Glenrose Xaba eye glory at Sanlam Cape Town Marathon

Running seasons don’t come as brilliant as the ones both Cian Oldknow and Glenrose Xaba had, do they? And it could well get better for them at the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon tomorrow (Sunday).

National champions in the marathon and half marathon respectively, the two athletes have run like the wind in 2024 as they broke personal barriers even they probably did not think possible.

Such are the rewards for talented individuals who refuse to rest on their laurels just because they are gifted but instead work hard at improving themselves that the duo have arguably sparkled the brightest of all road running athletes in South Africa this year.

Oldknow, who runs in the purple and yellow colours of the Hollywood Athletics Club, made her full marathon debut in Seville back in February where she ran a scintillating 2:25:08 – the second fastest time by a South African female. Most impressive about that run was Ms PB’s consistent splits, an illustration of her calmness under pressure as she stuck to her race plan like a seasoned campaigner.

Proof that Oldknow was good for the 42.195km distance was further provided when she clinched the national title at the Durban International Marathon with a solid 2:29:46. She put the cherry on top of her marathon debut season by being the first South African to finish the race at the Paris Olympics, Oldknow crossing the line ahead of seasoned campaigners Irvette van Zyl and Gerda Steyn.

Xaba, meanwhile, dominated the 10km scene this year with the clincher of her season being that she won the Spar Grand Prix Series. The popular women’s series has been the preserve of foreign runners for the last six years with Ethiopian Tadu Nare dominant after Namibia’s Helalia Johannes won it twice.

The Boxer Athletic Clubs starlet was actually the last local runner to win the Series back in 2018. Perhaps more telling of the kind of season Xaba had is the fact she broke Elana Meyer’s two-decade long 10km record. Add to that the fact she retained her national half marathon title and you begin to understand just why 2024 will go down as an episode in Xaba’s glittering career never to be forgotten.

And it is about to get even more memorable as Xaba makes that long-awaited graduation to the full marathon in Cape Town tomorrow.

How she will measure up against Oldknow who has already shown herself to be a superb marathoner is the main attraction of the popular Mother City race, as it continues its quest to be included on the World’s Abbotts Major Marathons.

Certain to spice up the Xaba/Oldknow ‘duel’ is the fact that the organisers have dangled a US$5000 carrot for the South African marathon record. Oldknow has already shown she has it in her to unseat Gerda Steyn as the fastest marathoner in the land with that brilliant time of hers in Seville. What we don’t know is how Xaba can do in the longer distance.

But she has been hard at work preparing for this race and while she has said she is looking to have a memorably fun debut, such is her competitiveness that you can bet on Xaba running a pretty fast time.

The two of them will be helped in their quest to break the national record by the stellar women’s field of top class internationals they will be racing against.

Tsige Haileselassie, who won with a personal best of 2:24:17 last year is back to defend her title and that can only mean a fast women’s race.

Who between Oldknow and Xaba will be able to keep up with her is what makes tomorrow’s race such an exciting prospect. Whichever way it goes though, the two starlets are each sure to chalk up 2024 as a fantastic season.

SA champion Cian Oldknow gears up for the Cape Town marathon

Her marathon journey in 2024 began with victories in the Dis-Chem Half-Marathon, Johnson Crane Hire Marathon, and the national marathon.

Oldknow also achieved a 32nd-place finish at the Paris Olympic Games in August, making her the highest-placed South African runner at the event.

Earlier in the year, she qualified for the Olympics with a strong performance at the Seville Marathon.

"I'm feeling good, feeling strong, I'm doing Cape Town Marathon in three weeks time so preparing for that so I would say I'm in a healthy position at the moment. It's another race on home soil and I think doing the home races and the local races are really good. It's good for us as athletes and it's good for the community, I think,” Oldknow said.

“We are so quick to go overseas and do the international marathons because we can get fast times and stuff but I think we can get fast times here too and just take a little bit of pride in our local races and help support those."

Oldknow enters the Cape Town Marathon as the reigning South African champion and one of the top local contenders, though she's focused on not placing unnecessary pressure on herself.

"I am quite confident going to the race. I know Glenrose [Xaba] is doing her debut there and she has run some amazing times this year so I'm really excited to see what she can do on the marathon. I think it could be quite a good healthy competition but I think it will be a good experience," she added.

Despite only starting to compete in marathons this year, Oldknow has already achieved significant success.

However, she acknowledges that there's still much to learn from elite runners across the continent.

In-form athlete Xaba excited but relaxed ahead of marathon debut

Glenrose Xaba is not putting any pressure on herself as she prepares to make her highly anticipated 42km debut at the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon next month.

Xaba again showed her superb form over the weekend, winning the Spar Grand Prix 10km race in Gqeberha in 31:22.

She was just 10 seconds outside the SA record (31:12) which she set at the Absa Run Your City race in Durban in July.

Running from the front in excellent conditions, Xaba shook off a strong field to extend her Grand Prix series lead, with 18-year-old Ethiopian athlete Diniya Abaraya finishing second in 31:33 and Tadu Nare taking third spot in 31:48, one week after winning the Mpumalanga Marathon.

Her latest victory added to a long list of wins picked up by Xaba this season, including the national 5,000m and 10,000m titles on the track and the SA 10km and 21km titles on the road.

Though it had been a long year for the 29-year-old athlete, Xaba was all set to make her maiden appearance over the classic 42km distance in the Mother City on 20 October.

“My long runs have gone well and I’ve been able to adjust in training,” Xaba said,

“I know it’s a big step for me but I’m very excited to try something new.”

Assessing her marathon potential

The field in Cape Town also includes Cian Oldknow, who set a personal best of 2:25:08 in February, and with a local battle on the cards, Gerda Steyn’s SA marathon record (2:24:03) might be in danger.

Xaba, however, insisted she was not concerned about challenging Steyn’s record in her first attempt at the marathon distance. Instead, she hoped to give herself an indication of whether it might be worth making a more permanent step up in distance.

“The national record is not my focus. If it comes, I will be happy to achieve that, but it’s not my focus,” she said.

“I want to try a marathon and see what time I will be able to achieve in future, and see if I’m strong in the marathon or if I need to focus on 10km and 21km.”

Strongest field in history set to compete in Cape Town Marathon

The Sanlam Cape Town Marathon has sold out a record 21,000 participants for the 2024 event, thanks to the popularity of the #YouDoCount campaign. This success strengthens the marathon’s position as the foremost marathon on the African continent, as it pursues the renowned Abbott World Marathon Majors (AWMM) classification. The amazing support of both the local and worldwide running communities has been instrumental in reaching this milestone,  Cape {town} Etc reports.

This year’s marathon promises to be one of the most exciting in the event’s history, with the strongest elite field ever assembled on African territory. This exceptional field offers an astonishing amount of awards, including 

2 Gold World Champion Medals

1 Silver World Champion Medal

Olympic Bronze Marathon Medal

1 All African Games Gold Medal

13 Abbott World Marathon Majors Medals, 5 of which are gold

1 World Record Holder

10 World Athletics Gold Label Elites

The stakes are bigger than ever, with a $50,000 prize fund available to the top podium finishers. The men’s and women’s marathon champions will each get $25,000, with the second and third place finishers receiving $15,000 and $10,000, respectively.

Barry Van Blerk, Race Director of the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon, expressed his excitement:‘This year’s Sanlam Cape Town Marathon is set to showcase the best marathon elite field ever assembled on African soil. With a prize pool to match, we expect an extraordinary level of competition, and, weather permitting, the course records will undoubtedly be challenged.

All eyes will be on South African competitors Glenrose Xaba and Cian Oldknow, who both hope to make history. Xaba, in her marathon debut, has previously established herself by breaking Elana Meyer’s 23-year-old 10 km record and dominating numerous distances, including 5,000m, 10,000m, and 10km. As she progresses to the marathon distance, Xaba’s development will pose a substantial challenge to veteran marathoners.

Cian Oldknow’s marathon PB of 2:25:08, set at the Seville Marathon in February of this year, is the second best time by a South African. At the Durban International Marathon in April, Oldknow finished in 2:29:46, making him the SA Marathon Champion. She is on a mission to break South Africa’s women’s marathon record, which could pit her against Xaba. With both competitors at the height of their abilities, the race will be nothing short of amazing.

Tsige Haileslase (Ethiopia) and Adane Kebede Gebre (Ethiopia), who won the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon in 2023, will return to defend their crowns. Haileslase, who ran a personal best of 2:24:17 last year, is back and determined to win consecutive races. Gebre, a force to be reckoned with in the men’s race, will have stiff opposition as he seeks straight victories against this year’s strong field.

‘There’s no doubt that African runners dominate in the sport, and as a proudly Pan-African group, it is only fitting that we ensure the rest of the continent is able to unite in Cape Town to run Africa’s only Abbott World Marathon Majors candidacy race,’ shares Karl Socikwa – Group Executive of Market Development and Sustainability at Sanlam, the event’s title sponsor. ‘We have extended invitations to athletics bodies across our 27 markets in an attempt to identify promising top marathon runners. Our commitment to unlocking Africa’s untapped talent will see 25 athletes from countries such as Mali, Namibia, Botswana and more, compete with confidence on a world stage on African soil.’

In addition to the extraordinary competitive field, race organisers have worked closely with the City of Cape Town to ensure a safe and seamless experience for both runners and spectators. JP Smith, Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, praised the collaboration, stating, ‘The City’s Events Coordination Committee has been working diligently behind the scenes with race management, mapping out all the logistical plans for a safe and secure route for the marathon. All of our safety and security personnel are preparing to provide a smooth and excellent platform for this elite field of athletes to chase their personal bests. We are looking forward to providing the Cape Town experience for an elite field of athletes.’