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Sports Reporter
NATIONAL Athletics Association of Zimbabwe are encouraging their members to take part in a virtual mass race.
The race set for the day of the World Half Marathon Championships in October.
The World Half marathon was initially scheduled for end of March but is now expected to be held on October 17 in Gdynia, Poland. The mass race, which is a new initiative launched by World Athletics and the local organising committee of the world half marathon championships, is to encourage runners around the world to run a half marathon.
They will run, wherever they are, on the same day as the world’s elite runners will be competing in Gdynia. NAAZ athletes commission chairperson, Cuthbert Nyasango, said it’s something the athletes should look forward to.
Most of the athletes have been training individually, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We are just encouraging people to take part but we are still to continue to make follow-up on the requirements, to say is it possible in our environment because some of these things, sometimes you need GPS, so that you can post it online, if you don’t it’s difficult,’’ he said.
“There are a lot of benefits, it gives you something to take part in because sometimes, if there are no races, there is no motivation to wake up and go for training.
“But, because now you know there is a race you want to compete in, post a good time, it’s very important. “We are encouraging our members to take part in these races because they keep them in shape and the motivation to know sport is not dead, there is something happening.’’ Nyasango said it will give more athletes a chance to take part in the race and some veterans were already showing some interest.
Online Reporter