Online Reporter
Sibonokuhle Mboni
ORGANISERS of the inaugural Jairos Jiri Half Marathon are targeting 250 participants for the race, which will be held on Sunday as part of the revival of the Jairos Jiri Fete.
The event will feature 5km, 10km and 21.1km races for both men and women, with the organisers saying about 200 athletes had registered by Friday.
The fete, which returns after decades, starts on Saturday and ends on Sunday with the half marathon.
The race will start and finish at the Barbourfields outside grounds, with organisers saying the venue was particularly suitable for wheelchair athletes.
Busi Ncube, chairperson of the fundraising committee for the Jairos Jiri Fete and Half Marathon, said the response had been encouraging for the inaugural event.
“We wanted 250 but we are sitting on 200 as of this afternoon. Since this is an inaugural marathon for Jairos Jiri, we are happy with 200,” said Ncube in an interview on Friday.
She confirmed that the race would not start and finish at Barbourfields Stadium as initially indicated.
“We are using Barbourfields outside grounds. It is actually perfect for wheelchair athletes,” she said.
The route will take athletes through some of Bulawayo’s iconic areas, including Amakhosi Cultural Centre, Old Falls Road, Makokoba and Mzilikazi, with a water point set up at Amakhosi.
Ncube said all proceeds from the event would go towards supporting the Jairos Jiri Vocational Centre in Bulawayo, which provides training and accommodation for people with disabilities.
“All proceeds are going to Jairos Jiri Vocational Centre. It is the only centre that is housing and helping people with disabilities,” she said.
The centre offers vocational courses including carpentry, basket weaving and agriculture.
The half marathon forms part of the revival of the Jairos Jiri Fete, which was first held about 60 years ago and became a permanent feature on Bulawayo’s entertainment and charity calendar.
The fete traditionally featured a fundraising football match involving city giants Highlanders and Zimbabwe Saints.
This year’s event will also include free services, among them health checks by Marondra Poly Clinic, as organisers seek to combine entertainment, sport and charity in support of people with disabilities.
