Kenyan leads 4-minute mile qualifiers

TWO more athletes have qualified for the next stage of the ZITF Coca-Cola Four-Minute-Mile Challenge final following a qualifier held in Harare at the weekend.

The athletes are Kenyan John Muinde and Trust Hove.

The Coca-Cola Four-Minute Mile Challenge is an annual men’s competition with a pre-requisite time of four minutes and 31 seconds for one to qualify for the final.

The finals take place on the last day of the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair on April 27.

Muinde ran a time of four minutes 28,11 seconds while Hove crossed the finishing line in four minutes 22,12 seconds.

At the qualifiers held in Bulawayo last week, defending champion Wellington Varevi came first in four minutes and 20,83 seconds.

Tendai Zimuto was second in four minutes and 21,60 seconds followed by Trust Hove (four minutes and 22,30 seconds) while Author Chitara was third in four minutes and 23,80 seconds.

Nomore Wiriki came in at four minutes and 25,25 seconds with Bornface Jeki taking four minutes 26,42 seconds to reach the finish line and Matthew Masirirevhu making it in four minutes and 27 seconds, 85 seconds.

Bulawayo Athletics Board (Bab) chairperson, Watson Madanyika said they will be hosting two more qualifying events before the final.

“Our qualifiers have gone on well. We are now looking forward to having a qualifier in Gwanda this coming Saturday. The athletes are qualifying with good times and we hope to see athletes in Matabeleland South also making the grade,” said Madanyika.

Varevi, who has won the race three years in a row, is yet to run under four minutes.

Last year, Varevi from Black Rhinos crossed the finish line in four minutes 15,82 seconds out of a field of 17 athletes.

The time was slower than the four minutes and 13,64 seconds he ran to win the race the previous year.

He won the race in 2014 when he was 18 years old and 2018 when he was 22.

Last year, Godwin Katakura finished in second place with a time of four minutes and 17,71 seconds.

Nyasha Mutsetse came in third after clocking four minutes and 18,61 seconds.

The race is sponsored by Coca-Cola and its bottling partners in Zimbabwe, Delta Beverages. — @innocentskizoe