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The race, which is the first sporting event to be organised in this country as part of President Mugabe’s birthday celebrations, is the brainchild of one of Zimbabwe’s former top middle and long-distance runners Reuben Paradza Bezvo and has been staged since 2000.
Bezvo said yesterday that this year’s race, which will start at 8am at its traditional starting point at President Mugabe’s former residence at New Canaan in Highfield, will be sponsored by Doves Funeral Services.
“We have managed to secure sponsorship from Doves Funeral Services who have demonstrated that they don’t only cater for dead people but also for those who are alive.
“So, this year’s event has been rebranded and it will be called the Doves 21st February Movement 10km road race and the top 10 finishers in each race category will get cash prizes. In fact, we have put US$600 on the table for the first male runner home while the first female runner to cross the finish line will get US$500.
“We also have some attractive cash prizes for the wheelchair athletes. Junior runners are also catered for and we are expecting more than 1 000 athletes to take part in this year’s race which also includes a 5km race for youngsters and the elderly people who are willing to take part in this exciting event,” Bezvo said.
The former Black Rhinos Athletics Club runner said they have also invited the uniformed forces and all the country’s top athletics clubs to send their athletes to this year’s event.
“We have over the past years received some tremendous support from the uniformed forces, especially the Zimbabwe National Army and the Airforce of Zimbabwe, and we are expecting them to send quite a number of their athletes to this year’s event on April 7,” Bezvo said.
In fact, Bezvo said everything was now in place and there was a lot of enthusiasm among the clubs and the athletes.
“We have been receiving a lot of enquiries from the local athletics clubs who wanted to know when we were going to stage this year’s event and I’m happy to say that we have secured some sponsorship for it (from Doves) and we are definitely going to stage it on April 7 in Highfield.”
The 21st February Movement 10km road race used to be bankrolled by a local businessman, the late Allan Bank, who was found murdered in Harare in July last year.
Bank, who had gone missing for several days, was found dead in his parked car near the intersection of Herbert Chitepo Avenue and Mazowe Street in Harare and police suspected foul play as he was hit twice on the back of his head by a blunt object before he was covered with a plastic sack. Bezvo said a moment of silence will be observed in honour of Bank before the start of this year’s race on April 7.
“In Allan Bank we lost a sport-loving person who was always there for us when we were organising the 21st February Movement 10km road race. In fact, he was almost like our patron and he gave us a lot of support, both financially and materially. In fact, he gave us support at every possible level.
“So, I’m urging all the country’s top male and female road runners to come and compete in this year’s race as we would also like to celebrate the life of Allan Bank during this event,” Bezvo said.
A number of the country’s former top middle and long-distance athletes such as Tendai Chimusasa and Nicholas Nyengerai have also been invited to grace this year’s event in Highfield.
“We have decided to invite the likes of Tendai Chimusasa and Nicholas Nyengerai to this year’s event because they are a living example of determination and we believe they are both role models to the local middle and long-distance runners,” said Bezvo who is being helped in organising this year’s race by Doesmatter Manyanga, Richard Makura and Godfrey Mushore.
Bezvo, a former training partner of the late, great midle and long-distance runner Stanley Mandebele, has of late been involved in athletics administration and has been organising a number of road races which includes the 21st February Movement 10km road race. Registration for this year’s 21st February Movement 10km road race is already on at Machipisa Crown Choice Supermarket at Machipisa Shopping Centre in Highfield and entry fee has been pegged at US$10 per athlete.
Online Reporter