Cape Town - A result that was never in doubt materialised in typical fashion as Tadu Nare sealed success in the 2022 SPAR Women's Grand Prix Series by winning the Cape Town leg this morning.
This was the Ethiopian's fifth successive victory in the six race series after she finished runner up to Namibia's Helalia Johannes in the opening event in Port Elizabeth.
Wins in Durban, Mbombela, Tshwane and Johannesburg gave her the edge going into this morning's race and only her compatriot Salem Gabre had a slim chance of usurping her.
Even then, it would have taken an epic fail by Nare for the junior athlete Gabre who made her marathon debut at last weekend's Sanlam Cape Town Marathon to turn the tables.
On a cool morning in the Mother City, the race began just llike the previous ones with the trio of Nare, Gabre and Johannes taking little time to set them apart from the local runners.
While Glenrose Xaba, Kesa Molotsane, Cacisile Sosibo, Irvette Van Zyl and Kula Jacobs tried to keep up, the forwigb interbationals proved to be way too strong and were enjoying a good five seconds lead at the halfway mark.
The trio then duelled for the lead on the flat and fast course.
The previous races had shown that Nare breaks away in the last two kilometres and she did exactly that to saunter to victory in 31:53.
Her compatriot Gabre came in second in 32:18. with Johannes fiiling the last podiun spot three seconds behind her.
There was great excitement in the crowd as Murray & Roberts teammates Molotsane and Jacobs ran into the Greenpoint Athletics Stadium for a neck and neck battle to become the first South African home.
Molotsane was ahead but Jacobs looked to be closing in on her only for the lanky athlete to find what appeared to be a second wind in the final straight.
She finished a second ahead of Jacobs in 33:15.
Molotsane finished fourth overall in the entire Grand Prix for the prize.of the first South African in the Seriea.
Cacisile Sosibo occupied fifth place.
Speaking after the race, Naru expressed delight at her success and said she would come back next year if her schedule allows.
Champion of the Series.
"I am very happy with the outcome because I win. But my plan was to run a sub 31 minutes which did not happen."
Having won all races last year, setting records in each of them, Nare said she would have loved to improve on those.
"It's been my plan to break my records that I set in the previous year and improve all the time. That did not happen but I am happy to have defended the title. I would love to come back next year but that will depend on my schedule."
Molotsane was understandably delighted with her position as the best South African in the Series given she had a "tough season".
"I feel good about this and proud of what I achieved this season."