'What SPAR has done to bring women together must be applauded' - Blanche Moila ahead of 35th SPAR Durban anniversary

As the SPAR Women’s Challenge celebrates it’s 35 year anniversary at the Durban leg on Sunday 22 June, Blanche Moila and Grace de Oliveira will be on the start line in Masabalala Yengwa Avenue eager to extend their records even further. The pair have run every single one of the Durban SPAR Women’s Challenge 10km races since they started back in 1990 and Moila, who one of the South African greatest female runners, is excited about hitting the streets of eThekwini alongside 12 000 participants for the sold out event.

"I'm very grateful that I have ran all Spar races in Durban since inception. The race was actually sponsored by Clicks before Spar came on board," recalls Moila. “But since SPAR took over, the race has grown and become bigger and bigger. I'm grateful to have witnessed all that growth all over the years,” she told #TheTopRunner reflecting on more than three decades that has seen the overall SPAR Challenge become the world’s biggest women's only street race.

“The Durban race is the oldest leg before organisers decided to launch it in different cities like Cape Town, Johannesburg and Pretoria. The whole vibe has changed. In the past, there was more concentration on an elite athletes. Now, it has become a platform for everyone to come and enjoy. The incentives have become bigger and there are lucky draws where any participants can even win a car,” she said alluding to the Hyundai Exter SUV lucky draw that will take place at the Kings Park stadium on Sunday.

For 69-year old Moila who worked as a nurse at the King Edward Hospital before retiring a couple of years ago, believes that this 10km women’s only series has been an excellent platform used to celebrate women in sport. The 19-time Comrades Marathon finisher further highlights says the SPAR races play a significant role in promoting a healthy lifestyle in general amongst women in general.

"In the past, we ran in mixed races with men, which we still do even today. But in those times, ladies were neglected and the main focus was on men. The introduction of the SPAR race, allowed women to take the centre stage. It also encourages the women from all walks of life that you don’t have to be athletically built to run a race,” said the first black woman to earn Springbok colours for athletics back in 1984.

“It also emphasizes the need for people to exercise regularly to avoid diseases. I have been working for 45 years, but haven’t been sick for even a single day. The worst part I was working in a hospital where you are exposed to all kind of diseases but I remain in good health, no blood pressure and no diabetes. I'm grateful to God for giving me wisdom in order to live a healthy lifestyle. I think what SPAR has done to bring women together must be applauded.”