The SPAR Grand Prix series is back again this year and will now take place in five different provinces. Mbombela, the Mpumalanga capital, has been added to the Grand Prix calendar, replacing Pietermaritzburg.
“SPAR is well known for the promotion and development of women in sports, especially in grassroot areas,” said SPAR Lowveld Marketing Director Sean Komlosy.
“This event will produce a solid foundation for the development and future sustainability of female athletes in Mpumalanga. We will also include differently abled athletes in a non-elite race, which is a first for our province,” he said.
The other women’s only 10km races will be run in Gqeberha, Durban, Tshwane, Johannesburg and Cape Town. The first race, in Gqeberha will be on 28 May and the last in Cape Town on 23 October.
Good news for the runners is that prize money has been increased to R170 000 for each race, with the winner receiving R30 000.
Entries for each race will be restricted to 500 runners, who will compete in the Open, Junior, 40-49, 50-59 and 60+ categories.
Points for the Grand Prix will be awarded to the first 20 runners in the Open category, with 20 points for the winner and one for the 20th-placed runner. Points will be awarded to the first five finishers in the age group categories.
2022 GRAND PRIX CALENDAR
28 May: Gqeberha
26 June: Durban
16 July: Mbombela
6 August: Tshwane
2 October: Johannesburg
23 October: Cape Town