Chronicle Editor
Innocent Kurira, [email protected]
LONG distance runners Israel Mudimba and Annie Chirisa were the winners of the ZB Bank half marathon in the men’s and women’s categories respectively at the Bulawayo Athletic Club (BAC) yesterday.
Over 500 athletes braved the chilly weather to take part in the second edition of the event whose inaugural edition was held in Harare last year.
The event is meant to promote good health and well-being of the public at large.
After the race, each athlete was given a tree to plant at a place of their choice.
In the men’s 21km race, Mudimba was first to cross the finish line in a time of 1 hour 15 minutes 58 seconds. He was followed by Mthokozisi Sibanda who reached home in 1 hour 16 minutes 15 seconds.
In third place was John Payarira who managed to cross the finishing line after 1 hour 16 minutes and 54 seconds.
The women’s race saw Chirisa cross the line in 1 hour 43 minutes 51 seconds. Phillipa Dube was not far behind the winner as she recorded a time of 1 hour 44 minutes 52 seconds.
The 10km women’s race was won by Tulange Mudeda with a time of 53 minutes 19 seconds. Thobekile Ncube and Miranda Musinwa were second and third respectively with times of 54 minutes 38 seconds and 1 hour minutes 19 seconds.
In the men’s 10 km category, first place went to Andrew Ndlovu in 43 minutes 34 seconds while Freedom Banda claimed second position with 43 minutes 42 seconds.
Munyaradzi Katiyo won the men’s 10km wheelchair race in 44 minutes 04 seconds while Stella Jongwe won the women’s race finishing the race after 59 minutes 34 seconds.
Meanwhile, preparations for the White City Stars Academy track and field championships set for October 16 are now at an advanced stage.
Events on offer will be 100m, 110m hurdles, 200m, 400m, 400m hurdles, 800m, 1 500m, 3 000m, 5 000m, 4x100m relay, 4x400m relay, long jump,triple jump, high jump, javelin, shot put, and discus.
Entry fees are pegged at US$3 for the relays, US$2 for the seniors, and US$1 for the juniors. The previous editions of the competition have seen sponsorship coming from Zimbabwe’s former triple jump record holder Ndabazihle Mdhlongwa and Arnold Payne’s Africa Children’s Hope Foundation.
Mobile network operator Econet in the past provided T-shirts and other accessories.
The club held its first event in 2021 which attracted more than 100 competitors from Bulawayo, Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South.
In the last two years, athletes from around Zimbabwe have attended the competition which continues to grow. – @innocentskizoe.
Online Reporter