Sibanda wins Zim/SA marathon

home in 2 hours 24 minutes and 32 seconds.
His fellow countryman Michael Ngaaseke arrived home four minutes later followed by South Africa’s Betwell Netshifefe who clocked 2 hours 30 minutes and 20 seconds.
Jane Mudau of Bonitas Athletics Club romped to victory in the women’s category in 3 hours 24 minutes and 42 seconds.
Despite Sibanda raising the country’s flag high in the men’s race, he was slower this time around after winning the same event in 2 hours 15 minutes and 30 seconds in 2007 and 2hours 20 minutes in 2008.
After Saturday’s race, Sibanda said that his “slow pace” was a result of the hot temperatures on the day, adding that he had thoroughly prepared for the race.
The main race, which was scheduled to start at 7am, started 30 minutes later owing to some logistical issues at the border post.
Only those athletes with passports were registered for the event this year.
Last year, the trio of Herbert Chokera, Kudakwashe Kanduna and Paul Mhizha dominated the main event when they took the first three places respectively.
For their efforts on Saturday, Sibanda, Ngaaseke and Netshifefe pocketed R6 000, R3 500 and R2 500 respectively.
They also received medals and T-shirts along with all the other athletes who made it to the finishing point.
The main event started at Nottingham Estate turn off, some 10km outside Beitbridge town along the Beitbridge-Bulawayo road and finished at Eric Louw High School at Musina in South Africa.
Over 40 long-distance athletes from Zimbabwe and South Africa took part in the cross-border race.
The event, which is held as a way of celebrating the twinning agreement between Beitbridge and Musina local authorities, was sponsored by the newly-elected Mayor of Musina Caroline Phiri along with Sabc Radio station, Phalaphala FM and Limpopo athletics club, Soutpasenberg.
The two countries marathon started in 1996 as part of the Centenary celebrations of Musina municipality before it was spread to Zimbabwe in 2006. There were very few women in the main event which was subsequently won by Jane Mudau followed by Vanessa Fourie and Shelly Masindi.
Meanwhile, Kelvin Pangiso, Samuel Pazanga and Marshal Jani, all of Zimbabwe, won the men’s half-marathon.
In the women’s category,  the Zimbabwean duo of Olivia Chitate and Hellen Chirandu, and Portia Mulaudzi took the first three podium places.
The half-marathon started and ended at Eric Louw High School.
The lanky Pangiso, who won the race for the second time running, clocked 1 hour 5 minutes while the other two men arrived home one minute later.
Another Zimbabwean athlete, Sam Asimosi, was on the winners’ podium for coming second in the men’s 10km race.
However, controversy reigned supreme in the 10km walking race where the organisers grouped all the athletes into one category shifting from the traditional three categories.
Professional walkers Germany Ndlovu and Forgive Chadzima added colour to the event after they came out on credible second and third positions in the 10km walking race, which started and ended at Eric Louw High school. Zimbabwe’s event co-ordinator Agnes Singo was full of praises for the Zimbabwean athletes, adding that she hoped the event would be bigger and better next year.