Ethiopia’s Tadu Nare rules at Grand Prix race
After winning the first Spar 10km Grand Prix race on Sunday in a time of 33min 22.47sec, Ethiopian runner Tadu Nare admitted the hilly Pietermaritzburg course was challenging.
Nare, of the Nedbank team, was followed in second place by Glenrose Xaba (Boxer) while highly rated 20-year-old Tayla Kavanagh (Murray and Roberts) completed the third in the top three positions.
Nare walked away with R25,000, Xaba R17,000 and Kavanagh R15,000.
Speaking through an interpreter after the race at the Pietermaritzburg Oval, Nare said she could have run better if the race, over three laps, was less challenging.
“It was a challenging course and I believe that if it was a flat course, I could have run 30 minutes. I am looking forward to the Cape Town race next month because I believe it is going to be flatter,” she said.
The Ethiopian said she was using the Grand Prix series to improve her speed in preparation for the Barcelona Marathon later in the year.
“I am training for the Barcelona Marathon ... and using the 10km for speed training. I don’t want to blow everything I have in the tank in the 10km, but I will be going all out to try to win all the Grand Prix races this season,” Nare said.
The race was without other elite runners in the form of defending champion Helalia Johannes, Irvette van Zyl and Gerda Steyn, whose presence could have made it more competitive for Tadu, Xaba and Kavanagh.
“It’s a pity that Irvette, Helalia and Gerda and other top runners were not here because their presence could have pushed us to run much faster and increase [the] competition,” Nare said.
Xaba agreed the competition would have been tougher with the elite runners. “It was going to be nice, but unfortunately, they were not here and there was nothing we can do about it.”
Kavanagh, who achieved her first podium finish and is in her first season as a senior runner, agreed, but felt there was a strong field anyway.
“I thoroughly enjoyed the race even though it was a bit up and down. I feel very privileged being on the podium with these top ladies,” she said.
“I enjoyed the course, especially being a three-lap race. It was quite nice because after one lap, you get used to the hills and it was a decent route and I enjoyed it,” Kavanagh said.