Chronicle Editor
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
THERE was double delight for Zimbabwe at the Two Oceans Half Marathon in Cape Town, South Africa yesterday as the men and women’s titles went to Zimbabwean athletes.
Moses Tarakinyu won the men’s 21.1km race in a time of 1:03:31, just 1.55 seconds ahead of South African, Elroy Gelant, who was the defending champion from 2019 after the 2020 and 2021 editions of the race were scrapped as a result of Covid-19.
Tarakinyu was involved in a full on sprint with Gelant, and the Zimbabwean pipped the South African by just two seconds.
Gelant was actually in the lead at the 15km mark and Tarakinyu was second at that point but the Zimbabwean surged ahead at the end of the race to win it. Another Zimbabwean, Isaac Mpofu made it into the top 10 as he finished ninth in 01:04:01.
Fortunate Chidzivo gave Zimbabwe the double when she won the women’s race in 1:14:49 in convincing style. Chidzivo finished an incredible 25 seconds ahead of Ethiopia’s Kore Tamiru Gelaye while another Zimbabwean Caroline Mhandu came third.
At the 15 mark, Chidzivo was not even in the top, with South African Lebogang Phalula in the lead at that point, followed by Mhandu.
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