Jah Prayzah brings cheer to 1 500 runners

Zimpapers Entertainment Hub

Jah Prayzah’s star power and stage appeal will come under the spotlight on Saturday when the award-winning musician brings the curtain down on the inaugural Mountain Valley Marathon with a performance for more than 1 500 runners in Nyanga.

The event, a brainchild of Rainbow Tourism Group (RTG) in partnership with chief sponsor Pacific Cigarette Company, is expected to combine sport, tourism and entertainment as organisers seek to position the Eastern Highlands as a major tourism and economic hub.

The inaugural marathon will form part of a broader weekend of activities featuring golf, the marathon and a top-tier musical experience at Montclair Hotel, giving participants and visitors an opportunity to experience Nyanga beyond the sporting event.

With Jah Prayzah headlining the post-marathon entertainment, event coordinator Elton Kurima assured participants that the festivities would continue long after runners cross the finish line.

“Participants at the inaugural Mountain Valley Marathon should also come with their dancing shoes, considering there will be a massive after-party headlined by Jah Prayzah,” Kurima told journalists during a press conference.

“DJ Iroq will also perform in Nyanga, alongside Abisha Palmer. Everything is in place, and we are ready for the after-party show where runners will get top entertainment.”

The organisers believe the combination of sport and entertainment will make the marathon more than just a race, creating an experience that brings together athletes, tourists, music lovers and business players.

The event is also expected to give local tourism operators an opportunity to benefit from increased visitor numbers, with participants and their supporters expected to spend time in Nyanga before and after the marathon.

For Jah Prayzah, whose performances have attracted audiences across Zimbabwe and beyond, the event provides another opportunity to connect with fans while contributing to a growing culture of sporting events being paired with live entertainment. In the spirit of rewarding top runners and holidaymakers, Rainbow Tourism Group commercial director Shupai Marware assured participants and visitors that the organisation was ready to offer a memorable experience in Nyanga.

“Travelling to Nyanga has been made simple, with flights now available to the area.

“Air Zimbabwe is plying the route four times a week, while the journey by road takes about two hours.

“We also have enough accommodation for our participants,” she assured holidaymakers.

They are prizes set for winners.

Pacific Cigarette Company also pledged bicycles for the top performers.

Musabvunda chief executive Kudzai Masipanodya, who is managing the event, gave an overview of the marathon.

“The longest race will be the 21-kilometre event, while the three-kilometre race will be the shortest. When the idea was mooted, we had 300 runners who registered, and the figure rose to 1 000 before reaching the current 1 500.”

A fun-loving runner who has participated in the Comrades Marathon in South Africa, Masipanodya said he was also looking forward to the post-race entertainment.

Former Warriors international Alois Bunjira of Album Fitness is also among the participants, taking part in a sponsorship role.

Bunjira has been promoting Nyanga, his hometown, through fitness-awareness programmes, using sport as a platform to encourage healthy lifestyles while showcasing the area’s tourism potential.

The inaugural Mountain Valley Marathon is expected to complement these efforts by bringing together athletes, tourists and fitness enthusiasts from different parts of the country and beyond.

The event could also provide local businesses with an opportunity to benefit from increased visitor numbers, while helping showcase the Eastern Highlands as a destination for sport, recreation and tourism.

The marathon is therefore expected to provide a platform for promoting healthy lifestyles while showcasing Nyanga’s tourism potential and creating an opportunity for the Eastern Highlands to attract more visitors through a combination of sport, leisure and entertainment.