Westgate Half Marathon scheduled for Sunday

while the wheelchair athletes will pocket US$500.
With prospects for such rich pickings, the organisers are expecting all the top long distance runners from the country to converge at the shopping centre for the road race.
A spokesperson for Old Mutual, Grace Mukahanana, said registration was currently underway and they expect 2012 Olympic Games athletes Wirimai Juwawo and Cuthbert Nyasango to enter the race as the pacesetters.
She said Collin Makaza and Marko Mambo, who finished fourth in the Two Oceans Marathon, are also expected to compete.
Last year the Westgate road race was run over 16km but it has been upgraded to a certified International Association of Athletics Federation half marathon for this year.
“So far 1 500 athletes have registered for the event that is set to be a permanent feature on the local athletics calendar.
“Registration is closing on Friday afternoon although late entries will be accepted until Saturday at the Old Mutual offices at Westgate.
“We are very excited by the response that this race has generated to date.
“The main category is the Open half marathon but for the fun of it we have the 10km and the 5km runs.
“As Old Mutual we believe that we have a responsibility to the communities that we operate in and this is just a commitment to the communities we serve,” said Mukahanana.
The event will also include a category for the wheelchairs, veterans, masters and grandmasters while corporate teams will enter for the 4×5.25 km relays. 
Old Mutual are working with the Harare Athletics Board in hosting the road race.
HAB chairperson, Sebastian Garikayi, said the athletes will be picked at the Harare main Post Office at 04.45hours and the race will flag off at 6am.
“We are very concise about time and we want to start at 6 o’clock sharp,” he said.
Garikayi said their aim is to develop a series of Old Mutual races in Zimbabwe, just like in South Africa.
“The idea from next year is to grow the races into a series and we should be starting with a race at High Glen Shopping Centre, then move to Chitungwiza Centre and Westgate.
“All these centres are properties owned by Old Mutual and athletes should be accumulating points after each race.
“At the end of the series, athletes with the highest number of points could go for South African Old Mutual events,” said Garikayi.