"I'm really looking forward to what lies ahead" - Consistent Kavanagh sparks talk of SA Record with another fast time at SPAR Grand Prix

After clocking her third successive sub 31:40 10km time, Tayla Kavanagh has underlined her credentials as a serious candidate to break the SA 10km record. In her latest performance, the Hollywood Athletic Club top runner stormed to a 31:32 victory at the Durban leg of the SPAR Grand Prix Series after prevailing in a testing battle against Ethiopia's Selam Gebre (31:45), who held off a fast-finishing Neheng Khatala (32:09).

Kavanagh and Gebre broke away from the lead bunch and battled to control the race until the Ethiopian lost touch with around 500 metres to go, approaching the finish at King's Park, and Kavanagh broke clear to win in 31:32, just six seconds outside her personal best. Photo Credit: Reg Caldecott.

"I put together a good race. I had very strong competition from Selam today, and I think we really produced a good race out there. We challenged each other a lot and really kept each other going, and I enjoyed the competition," said Kavanagh, who also won the first leg of the SPAR Grand Prix Series in Cape Town in March in 31:33.

Because defending SPAR Grand Prix series champion Glenrose Xaba didn’t compete eThekwini after accepting a invitation to race overseas, Kavanagh now holds a decisive lead in the SPAR Grand Prix series after two victories from two races which earned her a full house of 60 points. The Boxer Athletic Club duo of Cacisile Sosibo and Karabo More are Kavanagh’s closest rival on 53 points each. 

Kavanagh and Gebre finished the fast 10km course in under 32 minutes, while Khatala clocked 32:09 to finish just eight seconds outside her Lesotho 10km record. Photo Credit: Reg Caldecott.

More importantly though, the 25-year-old’s victory, which was just six seconds outside her 31:26 personal best set at the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon 10km Peace Run on 23 May, suggesting that Xaba’s 31:12 SA Record could soon come under threat. But after surviving a difficult injury-riddle 2024 and 2025, the self-coached Kavanagh is taking it just one step at a time.

"I'm really happy with the consistency I've been able to produce over my last couple of 10km races, so I'm really looking forward to what lies ahead for the rest of the season, and I'm just very grateful to be feeling healthy and strong at the moment."