Innocent Kurira [email protected]
A CENTURY of football history has given Highlanders plenty to celebrate but the Bulawayo giants are looking beyond the pitch as they seek to turn their centenary celebration half marathon into one of Zimbabwe’s biggest mass-participation sporting events.
The inaugural Highlanders at 100 Centenary Celebration Half Marathon, held in Bulawayo on Saturday, was more than a race. It was an opportunity for Bosso to bring together runners, athletics clubs, supporters, corporate partners and the wider community under a shared identity that has endured for 100 years.
Now, the club wants to build on that foundation and make the marathon an enduring part of its sporting calendar, with the 2027 edition expected to benefit from lessons learnt during the historic first event.
In a statement on Tuesday, Highlanders expressed gratitude to athletes, running clubs, volunteers, supporters and stakeholders who contributed to the event, saying the enthusiasm and togetherness displayed on the day demonstrated the strength of the Bosso brand beyond football.
“The enthusiasm, participation and spirit of togetherness demonstrated on the day reaffirmed the power of the Bosso brand to unite communities beyond football,” the club said.
That message captures the wider opportunity presented by the marathon. Highlanders are one of Zimbabwe’s most recognisable football institutions, with a following that stretches across generations. Taking that identity into athletics and community events gives the club another platform to connect with people while creating opportunities for corporate partnerships and broader participation in sport.
The challenge now is to turn the excitement of the centenary edition into a sustainable tradition.
Highlanders have made their ambition clear, targeting an event that grows in stature, attracts more participants and gives sponsors and partners compelling reasons to remain involved.
“With the support of our stakeholders, we aspire to grow the HFC Marathon into one of Zimbabwe’s biggest and most celebrated mass-participation sporting events,” the club said.
Achieving that ambition will require meticulous planning, effective coordination and attention to the experience of every participant. The club has acknowledged that some runners experienced logistical challenges and inconveniences during the inaugural edition, and has apologised to those affected.
Rather than allowing the challenges to define the event, Highlanders say they are committed to reviewing what went wrong and using the experience to improve future editions.
The club said the inaugural centenary marathon had provided valuable lessons and pledged to strengthen planning, coordination and event-day execution to deliver a safer, smoother and more rewarding experience.
That commitment will be important as the race seeks to establish itself among the country’s leading road-running events. A successful marathon is measured not only by the number of people who turn up, but also by the quality of organisation, the safety of participants and the willingness of runners to return.
For Highlanders, the opportunity is to build an event that appeals beyond their traditional football following, attracting athletes, fitness enthusiasts, families and corporate teams from across the country.
The corporate support received this year provides another foundation on which to build. The club thanked partners including CBZ, Cimas, Sun Casinos, McInn, Supermed, BFB, Afroat, Isuzu, Harris Lodges, Willsgrove, SpinCity, First Mutual, Fitness First, Zara Lounge, Nyaradzo, Fresh and Green City, and Emergency Pharmacy.
Highlanders said they valued the partnerships and remained committed to nurturing the relationships through responsible stewardship, continuous improvement and events that deliver lasting value to participants, sponsors and the wider community.
Maintaining that confidence while attracting new partners will be central to the marathon’s growth.
The race also offered Highlanders an opportunity to demonstrate that their centenary celebrations extend beyond football.
By bringing different sections of the community together through sport, the club is broadening its role as a social institution while creating another avenue for people to identify with the Bosso brand.
The task ahead is to turn that goodwill into a lasting sporting tradition.
As Highlanders celebrate 100 years of heritage, pride and resilience, the marathon represents an investment in the club’s future as much as a celebration of its past.
Saturday’s inaugural event has provided the starting point. With feedback from participants, stronger organisation and continued stakeholder support, Bosso will be hoping to make the 2027 edition bigger, better and more rewarding.
For a club whose centenary theme is rooted in honouring its history and building for the future, the ambition is clear: to ensure the marathon becomes a fixture that runners and supporters look forward to year after year.
