Bab ready for ZSM Marathon second edition

OVER 450 athletes from around the country have so far registered for the Zimbabwe School of Mines (ZSM) Marathon which is set for White City Stadium on Saturday.

The numbers are set to grow with the organisers stretching the deadline to the morning of the event to allow last-minute entries.

Bulawayo Athletics Board (Bab) chairperson Watson Madanyika said all is in order ahead of the event.

“We have over 450 athletes that had registered by the close of day on Wednesday. We expect the numbers to grow bigger. Registration is ongoing and several clubs are still registering. We are excited to have this event again this year and it’s a bonus that this time around we are having the event as a Full Marathon,” said Madanyika.

Bab has welcomed the decision by ZSM to have a full marathon instead of the 21.1km.

Last year when the institution introduced itself to staging long-distance running, it was a Half Marathon.

Last year’s event started and finished at the School of Mines in Killarney and it proved a success with a quality field.

Registration for the event is pegged at US$20 for the 42km, US$15 for the Half Marathon, US$10 for the 10km and 5km. The inaugural event hosted by ZSM, was to raise funds towards drilling four boreholes at the school.

Last year, veteran long-distance runner Moses Tarakinyu won the 21km race crossing the finishing line in 1 hour four minutes and 41 seconds. Tendai Zimuto who managed a second-place finish was four seconds behind Tarakinyu with a time of 1 hour four minutes and 46 seconds. It was a tightly contested race between the two athletes.

Annie Chirisa won the women’s 21 km race. She finished with a time of 1 hour 21 minutes and 45 seconds. Chiedza Chokore finished in second position with a time of 1 hour 22 minutes and 32 seconds. Stella Jongwe came first in the women’s wheelchair 21km race finishing in 1 hour 32 seconds.

@innocentskizoe