Chronicle Editor
Leonard Ncube, [email protected]
ZIMBABWE’S representatives at the upcoming 2024 Olympics Games and World Championships, Isaac Mpofu and Tendai Zimuto are the winners of the 2024 Econet Victoria Falls Marathon 21,1km and 42,2km races respectively.
Coincidentally, the two have been training together in camp since January.
Mpofu, a middle and long-distance runner, is preparing the for the Olympics to be held in Paris next month and Zimuto, who will represent Zimbabwe at the World Championships in Tokyo next year, has been his camp partner.
Zimuto is from Black Rhinos Athletics Club and it was his first time to run the Econet 42,2km full marathon which he won as the army side dominated the event.
He has run twice in the CBZ Marathon and Ancient Marathon once where he became Zimbabwe’s fastest long distance runner at 2,09 minutes.
Zimuto romped home in 2 hours 17 minutes and 14 seconds beating his closest rival Trust Tatenda Hove who finished the race in 2 hours 23 minutes and 25 seconds.
The top 10 in the men’s 42,2km race was dominated by veteran runners.
Blessing Wayson from Cadence Athletics Club could not make it to the top 10 and he claimed to have lost direction with other athletes after being misdirected by some officials who were manning the route.
He said when he regained the route it was late to cover.
In the female category of the 42,2km race Ethel Pangiso of ZRP defended her title as she romped home in 2 hours 47 minutes and 14 seconds.
In the 21,1km, men’s category, Mpofu romped home in 1 hour 4 minutes and 41 seconds relegating defending champion Moses Tarakinyu of Black Rhinos to second place in 1 hour 5 minutes and 4 seconds.
For the first time a foreigner won the females 21,1km race after Elizabeth Mukoloma of Zambia finished in 1 hour 18 minutes and 47 seconds to beat Patience Garauzive of Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services to second place after she finished in 1 hour 20 minutes and 9 seconds.
Some of the athletes said their performance was affected by flu as they were still recovering.
Zimuto said winning ahead of veteran athletes was a honour for him.
“Firstly, I want to thank the organisers and my organisation for giving us the chance to come and participate at the Victoria Falls Marathon and time to train. Last year I ran the half-marathon and finished in position three and this year I was training for the marathon and I am in camp with Isaac Mpofu for the Paris Olympics.
“So I am happy that this is my first time to run in this event and I came first. I am very happy because it is not easy to win these races. There are many athletes and veterans here so to me claiming championship is a great achievement. The terrain was not easy but I am happy that I managed to win,” he said.
His workmate Tarakinyu said being relegated to second position in the half-marathon enhances competition in the event he won on two consecutive years.
“I have competed in this race for some time and I have been winning it for the past two years. Today I lost and that’s what makes it a sport. I wasn’t feeling well as I had flu but as a soldier I had to show endurance,” he said.
The half-marathon champion Mpofu who clocked home in 1 hour 4 minutes and 41 seconds, said he used the event to gauge his time.
“To me it was just a time gauge because I’m actually preparing for 42km in Paris which I will run for the Olympics. Basing on the time which I clocked here it shows that we are doing well in training. My focus is to go under 2,10 minutes and there is still time to prepare because the race is on 10 August,” said Mpofu.
He added: “The terrain was a little bit challenging but with the training that we have done in camp I think we did very well with Tendai. He went to Netherlands for the Enschede Marathon and ran 2,09 minutes and in Zimbabwe mostly athletes finish 42km in 2,17 so he had an advantage here.”
Olympics bound Mukoloma of Zambia who finished the 21,2km in 1 hour 18 minutes and 47 seconds, said she owed her win to endurance and her husband coach Stanley Mbilibishi.
“This was my second competition in Victoria Falls after last year when I came in position 4. I am grateful that this year I got first position. Last year I had an injury and this year I was very careful in terms of training,” she said.
The full marathon winner in the female category Pangiso from ZRP Athletics Club said while she slowed down compared to last year, she still won the race finishing in 2 hours 47 minutes and 39 seconds.
“I am proud that I won although the terrain was very tough. Last year I won in 2 hours 41 minutes and this year I did 2 hours 47 minutes. My challenger was very close and I am happy I won. I am preparing for the next races now,” she said.
There were also different categories for the specially-abled athletes.
National Association of Athletics Zimbabwe president Tendai Tagara commended the event organisers saying the event has become important on the national calendar.
“I am happy that this marathon is growing. Tendai Zimuto is one of the prospects for the World Championships next year in Tokyo and the half-marathon winner Mpofu is going for the Olympics so this was a good event for their preparations,” he said.
A total of 5 190 runners took part at this year’s marathon which is the 16th edition.— @ncubeleon
Online Reporter