Seven qualify for Four-Minute Mile Challenge finals

SEVEN athletes qualified for the ZITF Coca-Cola Four-Minute Mile Challenge finals after an event that was held on Saturday at White City Stadium.

The Coca-Cola Four-Minute Mile Challenge is an annual men’s competition with a pre-requisite time of four minutes 31 seconds for one to qualify for the final.

The finals take place on the last day of the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF).

At the qualifers held at the weekend, defending champion Wellington Varevi came first in four minutes and 20,83 seconds.

Tendai Zimuto was second in four minutes and 21,60 seconds and he was followed by Trust Hove (four minutes and 22.30 seconds) while Author Chitara came out third in four minutes 23,80 seconds.

Nomore Wiriki came in at four minutes and 25,25 seconds.

Bornface Jeki took four minutes 26,42 seconds to reach the finish line and Matthew Masirirevhu made it in four minutes and 27,85 seconds.

Bulawayo Athletics Board (Bab) chairperson,Watson Madanyika said the new additions will help in making the final contest a competitive one.

“Following our event on Saturday, seven more athletes have qualified for the Four-Minute Mile at ZITF. The other guys who qualified have taken the tally to 17 and we are expecting an exciting event. They say the more the merrier and therefore with the increasing numbers, it’s going to be fun come the day of the championship.

“As Bab, we are proud to see more athletes qualifying for this event,” said Madanyika.

Last year, Varevi from Black Rhinos crossed the finish line in four minutes 15,82 seconds out of a field of 17 athletes. The time was slower than the four minutes and 13,64 seconds he ran to win the race last year.

Previously, he had won the race in 2014 when he was 18 years old and 2018 when he was 24.

Godwin Katakura finished in second place with a time of four minutes and 17,71 seconds. Nyasha Mutsetse came in third after clocking four minutes and 18,61 seconds. The race is sponsored by Coca-Cola and its bottling partners in Zimbabwe, Delta Beverages. – @innocentskizoe.