Online Reporter
Innocent Kurira,Zimpapers Sports Hub
Zimbabwe’s top female long-distance runner, Fortunate Chidzivo, finished in 53rd place out of a field of 73 athletes in the women’s marathon at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 held on Sunday.
Competing against a world-class field, Chidzivo held her own in a challenging race that saw 10 athletes fail to finish. The gruelling 42km contest wound through the streets of Tokyo before concluding at the Japan National Stadium.
The race was ultimately won by Kenya’s Peres Jepchirchir, who clinched gold in dramatic fashion. In a nail-biting finish, Jepchirchir outpaced Ethiopia’s Tigist Assefa in the final 100 metres, clocking a time of 2:24:43, just two seconds ahead of her rival.
After exchanging leads in the final stretch, Assefa appeared to have surged ahead on the back straight, but Jepchirchir responded with a powerful final kick to claim the title. The victory adds another prestigious accolade to Jepchirchir’s résumé, following her Olympic gold medal win at the Tokyo 2021 Games.
