Glenrose Xaba Laser Focussed on International Marathon Debut in Spain

Glenrose Xaba has gone into radio silence mode as the SA running phenomenon devotes every element of her focus on making a success of her international marathon debut, at the Valencia Marathon on Sunday, 7 December 2025.

The runner has been laying down achievements after achievement in South Africa, in her steady rise as a professional athlete, her unbeaten performance in the 2025 Spar Grand Prix to become the first Black South African runner to have won the 10km road running series a remarkable three times just the recent footnote in a sporting career already steeped in hard-earned victories.

In a seemingly oblique trajectory in her platform as a 10km specialist, in 2024 Xaba crossed the Cape Town Marathon finish line in a 2:22:22 stunning finish, obliterating Gerda Steyn’s national record set the year prior in Valencia, and eclipsing the course record of 2:24:17, to become the first South African woman to win the race in 14 years.

Three time veteran of the iconic Spanish marathon, Steyn spoke to SABC Sport, saying that she is expects a big performance from Xaba: “I can’t wait to see what Glenrose produces!”

“She might surprise herself with how fast she can run there. My message to her is to trust her strength and give it everything. I’m sure we’ll see something special on Sunday.”

Former South African Marathon Champion, Gerda Steyn

On Sunday, 35,000 runners from all over the world will take part in the 44-year old race now formally known as 2025 Valencia Marathon Trinidad Alfonso Zurich, and the ladies’ race is set to be a hotly contested affair.

Ethiopian Amane Beriso, who won in 2022 and is the current record holder with a time of 2:14:58, will be hoping to continue her dominance, while Kenyan competitor Peres Jepchirchir, who claimed gold in the women’s marathon at the 2025 Tokyo World Athletics Championships, will be looking to claim triumph in Valencia.

Main Photo Caption: Glenrose Xaba pictured winning the SA Half-Marathon title earlier this year, in July. Xaba will be looking to put in another exceptional run when she lines up for the Valencia Marathon, when she’ll make her international marathon debut on Sunday, 7 December 2025. File Photo: Cecilia van Bers / Athletics SA