Chronicle Editor
ZIMBABWE female marathon runner, Rutendo Nyahora will have her defining moment in the Paris Olympic marathon final on August 11 when the Games draw to an end.
Born on November 11, 1988, Nyahora was invited to take part in this year’s Paris Olympics on a universality ticket. It is given to a country by the sport’s world body in this case the World Athletics.
Nyahora has a personal best time of 2 hours 32 minutes in the marathon achieved at the Frankfurt Marathon on October 29 last year. She finished 15th in the event and her second best time ever in the event in recent years was 2 hours 34 minutes 29 seconds in the Hannover
Marathon in Germany on April 14 this year.
She was placed ninth.
She started her career at Budiriro 2 Primary School before taking it to the next level, the secondary school scene where she attended Glenview 2.
Rutendo is a member of Nedbank Running Club and has participated in several events in South Africa, overseas and Zimbabwe with varying levels of success.
She has no pressure at all and with all to gain in her participation. While a medal finish in earnest looks a dream, such competitions become anyone’s event to win because of several factors chief among them mentality and preparations.
The best times of the year lists count for nothing at times because they would have been achieved at different races and weather conditions.
But on this one, perhaps the hosts stand a better chance. It is a neutral venue for the majority.
So she will be among 80 top marathoners of the world taking to the starting point carrying hopes of a first medal in the distance.
Personal Best
Event Result Venue Date
10km Road 32:55 Cape Town (RSA) 15.04.2012
12km Road 40:16 Cape Town (RSA) 17.05.2015
15km Road 53:41 Pretoria (RSA) 15.08.2015
Half Marathon 1:14:56 Zwolle (NED) 09.06.2012
Marathon 2:32:00 Frankfurt (Germany) 10.04.2020
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter