Tayla springs a surprise in Cape Town to take the opening race of the 2026 SPAR Grand Prix Series

Twenty-four-year-old Durban athlete, Tayla Kavanagh, upset pre-race favourite and defending champion, Glenrose Xaba, in a thrilling climax to the SPAR Grand Prix 10km Series opener at Green Point, Cape Town this morning (Sunday 29 March).

18 000 runners and walkers took part in one of Cape Town’s most popular annual events, many making use of perfect cool and calm conditions to achieve their own personal goals. The traditional route included a three-kilometre circuit around the Cape Town Stadium precinct before an out and back loop along the Sea Point Promenade.

Kavanagh, the current national 10km road champion, was one to take advantage of the conditions, racing to a life-time best of 31 min 33 sec, eight seconds inside her previous fastest and just 21 seconds outside Xaba’s South African record.

“I woke up this morning and thought, oh my goodness, it’s such a beautiful day for racing,” said Kavanagh. “I hoped I would be able to make the most of the conditions and I’m very happy to have raced a PB”.

Although Zola Budd ran 32:20 as a 17-year-old before she raced for Great Britain, only Xaba, Elana Meyer and Colleen de Reuck have ever run faster than Kavanagh’s winning time and none of them at so young an age. The future looks bright for the Durban athlete, with higher honours beckoning.

Kavanagh and Xaba turned the event into a two-horse race from as early as the second kilometre and the two were five seconds clear of local favourite, Kyla Jacobs, and Xaba’s Boxer teammate, Karabo More.

Gauteng-based Boxer athlete, Cacisile Sosibo, was on her own in fifth, with another pair from the Boxer Athletics Club, Zanthe Taljaard and Carina Swieger running with and Tuks athlete, Karabo Mailula, a further ten seconds back.

Kavanagh held onto Xaba throughout the race before making her move just a kilometre from the finish. Xaba was equal to the challenge but when Kavanagh surged again 400 metres from home there was no response and she raced home to a five second victory.

Jacobs was delighted with her 32:16 in third, an impressive personal best over a minute inside her 32:59 in Durban in 2023. Back to her best after injury and giving birth to her daughter, Jacobs has joined the elite club of nine South Africans who have run inside 32:20 for the distance and is knocking on the sub-32 minute door.

More and Sosibo both ran personal bests in taking 4^th and 5^th respectively in 32:34 and 32:42 with Xaba’s training partner in the Caster and Violet Semenya camp, Karabo Mailula, 6^th in 33:28.

Evergreen Irvette van Zyl, in training for the Two Oceans Ultra-Marathon next month, showed impressive speed to make up several positions in the second half to finish 7^th.

Xaba admitted she had hoped Kavanagh would have helped with the pace earlier on. “If she had worked with me on the pace, I think we would have run even better times. But I’m very happy with the result and it shows the standard in South Africa is improving. Well, done to Tayla. She did so well and I’m proud of her.”

Kavanagh planned her race tactics to give her the best chance of winning. “I knew Glenrose likes to take it out hard from the start. So I thought I’d just try to hang-in as long as I could,” Kavanagh reflected.

“I thought, if I could just get to 9km with Glenrose, I’d have a chance. So I put in a surge (at 9km) but she came right back at me.

“I felt I still had something in my legs as we approached the final corner, about 500m from the finish.  I pushed again and managed to open a small gap. I told myself not to just keep going and not look back, fully expecting her come past again. But she didn’t and I was very happy to win.”

Since emerging as a leading junior five years back, when she raced to a stunning 32:10 win in a Durban 10km race as a teenager, with Xaba finishing fourth, Kavanagh has been struggling with injury and her form.

“I had a few years when I struggled with injury and not running so well. Since Glenrose came back from injury in 2022, she’s gone to another level entirely and I’ve just been trying to catch up.

“This year’s gone pretty well so far. We missed the Ethiopians today, but otherwise it was a great race. Glenrose and I really push each other and it felt  good to race her again.

“I’ve been doing some track work and my goal is to run the 5000m and 10 000m at SA Champs at Stellenbosch. I’m not sure about other road races yet, although I will likely come back in May to defend my Cape Town Peace 10km title.”

Results:  SPAR Grand Prix Cape Town

1 Tayla Kavanagh (Hollywood) 31:33

2 Glenrose Xaba (Boxer) 31:38

3 Kyla Jacobs (Boxer) 32:16

4 Karabo More (Boxer) 32:34

5 Cacisile Sosibo (Boxer) 32:42

6 Karabo Mailula (Tuks) 33:28

7 Irvette van Zyl (Hollywood) 33:43

8 Zanthe Taljaard (Boxer) 34:23

9 Carina Swiegers (Boxer) 34:47

10 Elizabeth Hutamo (Boxer) 35:09

Juniors

1 Chanel Groenewald (Boxer) 37:17

2 Ruby Read (Atlantic) 39:35

3 Kezia Matthysen (Nedbank) 41:29

Masters: 40 years

1 Este van Tonder (Nedbank) 37:20

2 Elme Middlemost (Nedbank) 38:05

3 Michelle Minnaar (West End) 39:11

Masters: 50 years

1 Elizabeth Potter (Boxer) 38:46

2 Nerida Lubbe (Nedbank) 39:07

3 Janene Carey (Boxer) 39:30

Masters: 60 years

1 Judy Bird (Boxer) 41:03

2 Dalene Sonnekus (Nedbank) 42:44

3 Ester Brink (Balwin Strand) 43:07

Masters: 70 years

1 Margie Saunders (Nedbank) 44:24

2 Nancy Will (Pinelands) 48:27

3 Charmaine Cupido (Nedbank) 52:46

Masters: 80 years

1 Marietha Herbert (Bellville) 1:02:25

2 Marlene James (Pinelands) 1:14:29

3 Annatjie Berntzen (Goodwood Harriers) 1:36:47

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