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Ellina Mhlanga, Senior Sports Reporter
LONG-distance runner Tendai Zimuto will have a chance to try and qualify for next year’s World Athletics Championships when he participates in the TCS Amsterdam Marathon this Sunday.
The next edition of the World Championships is scheduled for September 13 to 21, 2025, in Tokyo, Japan, and qualification for the various events is already underway.
Zimuto is expected to leave for the Netherlands today.
The qualifying time for the men’s marathon is 2 hours 6 minutes 30 seconds.
For women, it is 2 hours 23 minutes 30 seconds.
Apart from the track and field events, the National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe are optimistic about the distance runners making it in marathon events where there has been consistency in terms of representation at the championships.
Three marathon runners — Isaac Mpofu, Ngonidzashe Ncube, and Fortunate Chidzivo were part of the team that competed at the last World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
NAAZ president Tendayi Tagara said all is in place for Zimuto’s participation on Sunday in the Netherlands.
Tagara believes the runner stands a good chance of cutting the championships.
“We are happy to announce that Tendai Zimuto will be travelling to the Amsterdam Marathon where he has been invited to run.
“This is a qualifying marathon for the World Championships that will take place in Tokyo, in 2025.
“The association has purchased the air ticket for Zimuto’s trip and the organisers are meeting his accommodation and food expenses.
“We are happy that we are assisting our athlete who has the potential to qualify for the World Championships,” said Tagara.
Zimuto has been training under the guidance of veteran coach Benson Chauke for some time now.
He was part of Isaac Mpofu’s camp in Harare for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games led by Chauke and he continued with his training programme after the former left for the Games up to now.
The Harare-based runner engaged Wellington Varevi and upcoming runner Gamuchirai Tsveta as his training partners during his preparations for Sunday’s race.
He is one of the hopefuls for NAAZ to qualify for the championships besides Mpofu, who is also expected to continue with his outstanding performances when he returns to the road to try and qualify for the global meet in a few months’ time.
Mpofu has indicated that he would go for his attempt to qualify next year.
The qualifying window for the marathon opened last November and closes on May 4, 2025.
“Zimuto is the second best in terms of performance in the marathon at the present moment behind Mpofu. So, we know that if he qualifies, we are guaranteed at least two slots.
“We know Mpofu has no problem qualifying because he is already in that league of top times.
“So Zimuto will travel to Amsterdam, we wish him all the best at the event,” Tagara said.
This year, Zimuto competed at the Enschede Marathon, which was his first major marathon, and clocked 2 hours 9 minutes 30 seconds to finish fourth.
Zimuto is one of three Zimbabweans who will be in action this Sunday with the pair of Moses Tarakinyu and Blessing Waison competing at the Sanlam Cape Town marathon.
For Tarakinyu, the Sanlam marathon is a platform from where he is hoping to get the needed experience as he transitions from mostly half marathon and 10km races.
Waison, on his part, is targeting a personal best at the race.
Tarakinyu, who specialises mostly in 21km and 10km races, said he is ready for Sunday’s marathon.
“Preparations went well, you never know in terms of results but we are hoping something positive comes out of the race.
“I desire to qualify for the World Championships, even the Olympics in the future, that’s what inspired my decision to try a marathon.
“So, we decided to try now so that if I fail, I don’t put myself under pressure and I can try again,” Tarakinyu said.
“So far, my focus is to run and finish the race to assess where I am.
“I am not worried about time. I want to get the experience and see if I can finish the race. I am a novice in marathons, so it’s all about getting the experience.
“And during the preparations, we were working more on endurance and speed endurance because speed is there from the half marathons and 10km,” said Tarakinyu.
His personal best in the half marathon is 1:01:38.
Online Reporter