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Ellina Mhlanga
Senior Sports Reporter
MARATHON runner Fortunate Chidzivo has maintained a positive attitude as she chases the qualifying time for the World Athletics Championships at the Enschede Marathon in the Netherlands this Sunday.
The 36-year-old is scheduled to leave for the Netherlands today.
The marathon carries the World Athletics elite label and the Zimbabwean runner received an invitation to the race last month.
She is still chasing qualification for the World Championships due to take place from August 19 to 27.
“Preparations went well, so I think I am ready to observe how much has been corrected from the errors that we noticed from the last time.
“Unfortunately I don’t have an idea what the course looks like because I have never run there . . . So it’s very unfortunate I don’t know.
“The race is an elite race and I am hoping to have a head-to-head competition so that will help me a lot to improve myself,” said Chidzivo.
The qualifying period for the marathon opened on December 1, 2021 and closes on May 30, 2023.
The qualifying time for marathon is 2hours 9minutes 40seconds for men and 2hours 28minutes for women.
For Chidzivo this is likely to be her last attempt at qualification and she is staying positive ahead of the race.
“I can’t afford to be negative right now. I have taught myself to remain calm and to stay positive. That’s the only way I will get positive results.
“I think if I have had bad races before it doesn’t mean that I am going to have another bad race again. So I have taught myself to stay calm and focused. So I am just going to stay positive till the race day.”
Besides the qualifying standards, athletes can also qualify through their world rankings but the number of slots available through rankings depends on the number of athletes who qualified directly.
“It is the last attempt for the World Championships for sure but if I manage to run a personal best, let’s say I run out of qualifying time, but I manage to run a personal best and pick up more points, then my points from Spain and the Netherlands will be added.
“If they are enough for me to get the World Champs with the second group which is the 50 percent, that is going to qualify through points, I might go as well,” said Chidzivo.
Chidzivo competed at the Malaga Marathon in Spain last December and finished fifth in 2hours 35minutes 5seconds.
Chidzivo is also earmarked for qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
She has been part of the distance runners currently in camp in Harare preparing for various qualifying races, for marathon and 10 000m. The camp is being led by head of the national event coaches team for middle and long-distance runners, Benson Chauke. He is working with Cephas Pasipamire for this camp.
Pasipamire said they are confident of the work that has been put in to prepare Chidzivo for Sunday’s race.
“She is leaving tomorrow (today) and she is ready. We have done all we can in our preparation. What’s needed is for her to acclimatise. She is used to travelling and is fit, and we have been working on tapering, to maintain the shape and her speed,” said Pasipamire. The camp is being supported by the National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee.
Online Reporter