Roger Brackley run on

Augustine Hwata Senior Sports Reporter
LOCAL athletes will be embracing with some of the latest technology in sports tomorrow when they use the electronic timing chips during for the Roger Brackley Marathon at Old Georgians.This is the first time that road runners in Zimbabwe will be using the system to capture their performance although the technology was once used locally at the Zimbabwe Sevens Invitational Rugby Tournament in 2012.

The transponder timing or chip timing is a technique for measuring performance in sport events where an electoral device, working on a radio-frequency identification basis, is attached to the athlete and emits a unique code that is detected by radio receivers located at the strategic points.

Harare Athletics Club captain Martin Webster said they have used the chip timing on trial basis before but tomorrow will mark the first time they are fitting each entry bib with a chip.

“When the athletes enter the race, they get a bid number and a chip will be fitted at the back of the particular bib. So when one enters, we make a database and would then use the guy’s chip to inform us about the performance,” said Webster.

Harare Athletics Board secretary Silas Muringani said his board would be keen to see how the technology improve the collating of results at the Old Mutual supported event.

Besides the main 42km race, the event will also encompass 10km and 6km runs in honour of Brackley who died in 1995.  According to Webster, Brackley was a pilot with Air Zimbabwe but was also keen on ultra-marathons.

“He was a keen long-distance runner who ran the Comrades Marathon every year and after running seven or eight Comrades, he fell ill with cancer. After the initial treatment, he returned to long-distance running believing that a healthy lifestyle and positive mental attitude would overcome the illness.

“He ran his ninth and final Comrades in 1995 at the age of 58 and succumbed to the illness some months later. Nine times Comrades athletes run with a yellow number and attain their coveted permanent green number on their 10th run.

“The Comrades Association was made aware of Roger Brackley’s courage in the face of illness and they awarded him a green number posthumously. The Harare Athletic Club has been inspired by Roger’s courage and holds a marathon annually in his name,” said Webster.