JOHANNESBURG - After finally winning the Spar Grand Prix, Kesa Molotsane said she was glad that the season is now over.
“I’m really humbled by winning the Spar Grand Prix. This year has been an emotional journey for me. I’m just glad that it’s over ... You have different things on your plate everyday and you have to keep up with everything,” said Molotsane at the Grand Prix Awards held in Muldersdrift on Tuesday.
Molotsane walked away with R173 000 for finishing first in the Grand Prix standings.
The track athlete, who finished her season with a bang on Sunday when she won the SA Championship 10km race in 33 minutes, 38 seconds in Nelspruit, said one of her highlights was representing SA at World Cross Country Championships in Uganda.
Another highlight was, she said: “Coming back again with the same motivation to represent the country at the World Student Games in Taipei. Also to showcase my talent in the Spar Women’s races and winning the whole competition has been one of the amazing things that have happened in my career."
Molotsane beat the likes of three-time Grand Prix winner Irvette van Zyl, 2013 Grand Prix winner Mapaseka Makhanya and elite athlete Nolene Condrad. Van Zyl, who won her maiden Soweto Marathon on Sunday, said this year was a tough one.
“I had injury problems and illness at crucial times. I’m glad I worked though them and continued to strive... I’m just happy to have came second in the whole series and finishing first at the Soweto Marathon. They all contributed to the better part of my year in the end,” she said.
Beautiful morning at the @SPARGrandPrix awards at @memoire #spargrandprixawards @irv87 pic.twitter.com/A0iFGzXsV3
— LJ van Zyl (@ljvanzyl) November 7, 2017
Van Zyl also revealed the Soweto Marathon was her last race of the year.
Meanwhile, Makhanya, who came second at the People’s Race, said finishing in the top 10 of the Grand Prix meant a lot for her even though she missed two of the races.
“After missing two races and still being in the top 10 shows the competitiveness of South African women in sport and I did well in those four races.”