Online Reporter
Innocent Kurira, [email protected]
ORGANISERS of the ZITF Coca-Cola Four-Minute Mile are working on plans to take the competition’s qualifiers to Matabeleland South, with Watson Madanyika revealing that discussions are underway to stage the event at Blanket Mine Stadium.
Madanyika, who chairs the Bulawayo province board under the National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe (Naaz), said they want athletes from Matabeleland South to have a fair opportunity to compete in the prestigious mile race without having to travel long distances.
The Four-Minute Mile is one of the flagship athletics events held in conjunction with the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair and consistently attracts some of the country’s leading middle-distance runners.
Madanyika said the association is currently working on suitable dates to host the qualifiers in the province.
“We are working on dates to go to Matabeleland South, particularly Blanket Mine, where we hope to stage qualifiers for the Four-Minute Mile. The goal is to make sure athletes from that region also get a chance to compete and try to qualify for the next stages of the competition,” said Madanyika.
The event has, over the years, grown into one of the most exciting races on the local athletics calendar, with athletes required to meet a strict qualifying time in order to progress.
Traditionally, runners must clock a time of around four minutes and 31 seconds or better to secure a place in the semi-finals before the eventual finalists are determined.
Those who successfully navigate the provincial qualifiers advance to the semi-final stage, which is usually held at White City Stadium ahead of the final race staged during the trade fair festivities.
Madanyika said taking the qualifiers to different parts of the country is part of a broader strategy to widen participation and unearth emerging talent.
“There is a lot of talent in different provinces and we want to make sure we are giving athletes from across the country a platform to compete.
In many cases, athletes miss out simply because competitions are held far away from them. Taking the qualifiers closer to the communities helps address that,” he said.
