JOHANNESBURG – The most successful athlete in the history of the Spar Women’s 10km Challenge Grand Prix awards, Namibian Helalia Johannes (Nedbank), pocketed a cheque for R185 000 at the Grand Prix Awards ceremony at Emperor’s Palace in Ekurhuleni on Monday.
Not only did Johannes, a 39-year-old Namibian star, win all six races in the Women’s 10km Challenge series, but she also did so in record time. She is the first runner to claim maximum points in the Spar Grand Prix, finishing with a total of 180 points.
Johannes also smashed her Namibian 10km national record several times and shortly before the final race in Johannesburg, she won a bronze medal at the World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar, finishing third in the women’s marathon.
Ethiopian junior, Tadu Nare (Nedbank), came second with a total of 151 points. She received R65 000. Nare finished second in Port Elizabeth, third in Cape Town, second in Durban, Tshwane, and Maritzburg and fourth in Joburg. She earned bonus points for finishing faster than the previous winning time in Port Elizabeth, Cape Town, Durban and Maritzburg.
Nare also wrapped up the junior category in stunning fashion, earning the maximum 40 points from the four races that counted for the Grand Prix.
The 2017 SPAR Grand Prix winner, Kesa Molotsane (Murray & Roberts) was third, with 122 points. She received a cheque for R40 000.
Grand Prix coordinator Ian Laxton said the performance by Johannes and Nare has been outstanding.”
Never before has a runner achieved bonus points in every race,” said Laxton.