The SPAR Challenge races take place in five centres around the country, and are recognised as the third most recognised road race in South Africa, after the Comrades Marathon and the Two Oceans Marathon. Thousands of women of all ages, shapes and sizes take part in the races, which are held in Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Durban, Pretoria and Johannesburg.
Most confine themselves to running in their hometowns, but a group of elite runners travel from venue to venue, running in as many of the SPAR races as they can. The races offer good prize money, but for the top South African runners, there is an additional incentive in the SPAR Grand Prix, with the top runners earning Grand Prix points according to their performance in the various Challenge races.
The best runners say they enjoy the SPAR races, which are all about women.
