adminThe company that used to fund Mbalabala 10km road race in conjunction with the Zimbabwe National Army will partner Raj Spar in organising the 15km race.
Speaking on the sidelines of a colourful ceremony to mark the beginning of the festive season and the turning on of the Christmas lights at Nkulumane Shopping Complex on Tuesday night, Old Mutual property manager Trynos Ngara said his company was interested in supporting community programmes.
“There are a number of social corporate social responsibility programmes that Old Mutual is doing countrywide and plans are at an advanced stage for a 15km road race. We are closely working with Raj Spar who are here at Nkulumane Complex in organising this race.
“We used to do the Mbalabala 10km race in conjunction with the army but we faced some challenges which led to us pulling out for some time and now we are returning to support athletics. We want the
15km we are working to be one of the biggest on the athletics calendar next year,” said Ngara.
According to Ngara, the race will start and finish at Nkulumane Complex.
They are yet to decide to the track but it is highly likely that athletes will run along Siye Pambili Drive towards Magwegwe, then make a U-turn at the Siye Pambili-Hyde Park Road where they will race to Bellevue and then return to Nkulumane Complex to finish the race.
There have been a few road races in Bulawayo with Bulawayo City Striders Athletics Club organising most events for competition starved the city’s athletes.
Other events that have been there in the Bulawayo Athletics Board (Bab) calendar includes the Coca-Cola Four Minute Mile race that is held during the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair, the Belmont Rotary Club-sponsored Hope Fountain 30km road race and the Nkulumane Spar 10km race.
Veteran runner Luwis Masunda won the men’s category of the Nkulumane Spar 10km race last weekend in a time of 27 minutes 33,36 seconds while Rutendo Nyawora beat Kujatana Nkubotu Peace Half Marathon winner Constance Nyasango in the women’s race.
Nyawora clocked 32 minutes 41 seconds while Nyasongo came home in 33 minute 34.73 seconds.
Online Reporter