With suggestions from pundits that international runners should not be allowed to run the Spar Grand Prix 10km series, SA runner Diana-Lebo Phalula feels running with them makes local runners up their game.

This is after Ethiopian runner Tadu Nare continued her dominance of the series after winning the inaugural Mbombela race on Saturday in 32:43.

Nare is now in pole position to defend the title having also won the Durban leg, with three races remaining in Tshwane, Johannesburg and Cape Town.

Helalia Johannes of Namibia finished second in 33:02, while Ethiopian teenager Selam Gebre took third place in 33:12.

“It’s better to have them [international runners] because we also travel overseas and go and run the races,” Phalula, who finished six in 33:57, told the media after the race.

“So they’re giving us a good challenge and it is motivating us as South African runners. It’s nice to have Africans to run with us. I’m so happy to be with them.

“I’m happier when I see them because it shows and tells us that we can’t fly miles away to try and run in Europe, so if we have them here we can run our personal bests and season bests because when we are together as South Africans we are scared to run hard.

“I love challenges like that. I don't want to race and win it within 34 minutes and say you are a star here in SA.”

Nare, who produced another standout performance explained her strategy that saw her beat Johannes again on Saturday to extend her lead on top of the Grand Prix.

“I had planned the strategy because during our last press conference in Durban Helalia said she didn’t get enough sleep,” Nare explained.

“So now that she was here earlier and she was ready, I wanted to make sure that I tested her well. I went all the way to the 8km [mark] and we were still together. I pushed further just to test how close she could come and then she came on.

“I waited further and I went again to see if she could catch up with me, but it didn’t happen, so I had to go all the way out.”