adminEllina Mhlanga Sports Reporter
THE defending champion in the Old Mutual Westgate half marathon, Wirimai Juwawo, feels he isn’t in the right shape to win the big race again this year. Juwawo has been battling to recover from an injury he picked last year during training.Even if he was going to compete, he said, it’s very unlikely that he will be in peak condition to do as well as he did in storming to victory last year.
Juwawo won last year’s race in 1hour 2minutes 70seconds but the seasoned long distance runner said although he is expecting to take part in this year’s edition on Sunday, he was battling to get back to full fitness.
That injury has restricted him to just two races so far this year and the Old Mutual Westgate half marathon is scheduled to be his third race of the season.
“I am participating in the race and I will enter on Saturday.
“However, I don’t think I will be able to defend my title because there are some challenges,” he said.
“I picked a hamstring injury in December last year when I was training and since then I have not fully recovered. But I will definitely be there.
“It’s painful but those are some of the challenges we have to face and we just have to accept them when they come. I have been preparing for the event and I can’t complain.
“This is my third race for this year. I competed in the Tanganda race in Mutare where I finished fifth and I was second in another race in Victoria Falls but I think the competition was not that stiff.
“Usually I compete in at least 10 half marathon races per year.”
In addition to the main race there is also going to be the 10km and 5km races, wheelchair racing and veterans will compete in their own category.
The Old Mutual Westgate marathon started in 2011 as a 16km fun run but last year it was upgraded to a 21km race recognised by the International Association of Athletic Federations.
In 2012, the winners in both the men and women categories got US$3 000 and this year the marathon reclaimed its status as the richest road race in the country as the sponsors once again promised the same amount for those who will triumph.
Last year, the race attracted more than 2 000 participants from across the country.
Online Reporter