Masiyephambili Marathon registration begins

Ricky Zililo Sports Reporter
REGISTRATION for the Masiyephambili Marathon to be held next month opened on Thursday with organisers challenging athletes to register on time.The marathon whose motto is “Our city, our marathon” is part of festivities to celebrate 70 years since Bulawayo was granted city status and is set for 3 November.

The marathon registration fees have been pegged at $10 per athlete and $15 for relays. Registration will close on the eve of the race.
Thamsanqa Ncube, the marathon organising committee chairman, said the idea to have the competition which they intend to hold every year, was in line with what other big cities in the world are doing.

“This is the time to take pride in our Bulawayo and make sure that this marathon is a success and a lasting legacy. We have seen other cities marketing themselves through such events like the London Marathon, New York Marathon, Johannesburg Marathon and even the Sunshine City Marathon in Harare. Why should we be left behind as Bulawayo? It is our hope that this race will grow from strength to strength and attract world class athletes in future.

“For Masiyephambili Marathon to be a success we need a buy in from every one and that is why we decided to open the registration a month before the event so that athletes register on time,” said Ncube.

Bulawayo has gone for at least 20 years without a full marathon and the staging of the 42km race will come as a relief to athletics enthusiasts who have gone for a long period without witnessing one in the city.

Some of the marathons that used to be held in Bulawayo include the Merlin, Holiday Inn and Pronutro. Roadrunners in Bulawayo have been restricted to the annual Hope Fountain 30km race and a number of 10km events.

This year it seems the athletics gods smiled on Bulawayo as at the beginning of the year Pretoria Portland Cement (PPC) Zimbabwe revived the Matopos 33 Miler Ultra-Marathon which in the past was used as a preparatory race for the Comrades Marathon and last Sunday there was the inaugural Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Half Marathon.

Ncube said besides the full marathon which carries $1 500 for each winner from the men and women’s categories, they were going to have a 21.1km race with the juniors competing in the 3x7km relay.

The veterans and wheelchair categories will also compete in the Half Marathon.