Online Reporter
Ellina Mhlanga
Zimpapers Sports Hub
AS Zimbabwe’s marathon team prepare to depart for the World Athletics Championships in Japan, coach Benson Chauke is hoping that their dedication and commitment serves as an inspiration to fellow athletes.
The biannual championships in Tokyo gets underway this Saturday and runs until September 21, amid searing heat in the Japanese capital.
Team Zimbabwe is made up of eight athletes including three marathon runners – veteran Isaac Mpofu, Tendai Zimuto and Fortunate Chidzivo.
They have been training in Harare and are scheduled to leave for Tokyo today led by Chauke, who is the head of the national event coaches’ team for middle and long-distance runners.
He has been working with Mpofu and Zimuto for the last four months.
“It has been really an eye-opener. It has been a journey.
“Isaac came with some slight injury, so we went through that injury until he recovered and we tested his fitness through the Tanganda race, which he didn’t do very well.
“For the world they would think he didn’t do well but for us it was a step in the right direction and then we went to the Victoria Falls (marathon).
“Our targets were met, running a 2:13.58, I think was incredible for a person who was coming from an injury and thereafter he went to the ZRP Kariba 21km marathon where he ran and he won the race.
“The temperatures in Kariba and the competitiveness that he wanted I think went on well.
“For Tendai, he was coming in from some marathon so he needed to taper, kind of take it slow and then pick up as we progressed and I would say the training has been going on well,” said Chauke.
Mpofu will be making his fourth appearance at the World Championships and Chidzivo is returning to the global stage for a third time.
For Zimuto, it will be his debut against the world’s best. Chauke is confident they will give their best.
“Our team will face the world’s best but I am confident they will give their all and leave everything on the course.
“I wish them all the best and say, ‘Go yee comrades, raise the Zimbabwe flag high!’
“Regardless of the outcome, we are proud that our team qualified for this major competition.
“(To) Fortunate, this marks our third World Championships together, from London 2017 to Budapest 2023 and now Tokyo 2025. It’s been an incredible journey, and I wish you all the best.”
He believes having Mpofu and Zimuto working together has been beneficial for the latter, learning from someone who has competed at this level before.
Since his debut in 2019, in Doha, Qatar where he posted a time of 2 hours 29 minutes 24 seconds, Mpofu has gradually improved and his best time from the three editions he has competed in, is 2 hours 7 minutes 56 seconds posted in Oregon, in the United States in 2022.
“I am really happy for them. For Tendai it is going to be his first, he is going to learn.
“The good part is he is working with someone who has been there so he has someone who is mentoring him, who is helping with ideas, what to do, what not to do, when to do what and when not to do whatever,” said Chauke.
Chauke said they are grateful for the support they got from the athletics mother body – National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Olympic Committee, various individuals and organisations, including the Zimbabwe Republic Police and Zimbabwe National Army.
Mpofu is a member of ZRP while Zimuto is from ZNA.
The other members of the team are United States-based sprinters Tapiwanashe Makarawu and Makanakaishe Charamba, who will compete in the 200m event, Vimbayi Maisvorewa (400m), Ashley Miller Kamangirira (400m hurdles) and triple jumper Chengetayi Mapaya.
Charamba, Makarawu, Maisvorewa and Kamangirira are already in Tokyo.
Mapaya, who made his World Championships bow at the Doha meet in 2019, is expected to join the rest of the team on Saturday.
