Xaba smashes national mark

Running the longest race of her career, Glenrose Xaba (above) was delighted with her performance after digging deep to break the SA women's record at the Cape Town Marathon yesterday.

- Wesley Botton

Making her debut over the 42km distance, Xaba ran like a seasoned campaigner, winding up the pace in the second half and gritting her teeth in the closing stages to defeat a powerful international line-up.

She led a pack of eight athletes through halfway in 1:12:17, and the relentless South African maintained her intensity throughout the second half, shaking off the last of her pursuers in the chase for the line as she broke the tape in 2:22:22.