Online Reporter
Ellina Mhlanga-Zimpapers Sports Hub
VETERAN distance runner Mike Fokorani is next month expected to headline a five-member team of local athletes under the Nedbank Running Club Zimbabwe to compete at this year’s Comrades Marathon in South Africa.
The race is scheduled for June 14.
This year’s edition is an Up Run from Durban to Pietermaritzburg.
The official distance has been confirmed as 85.777km, making it the shortest Up Run distance in recent Comrades Marathon history. According to the race’s official website, the previous shortest race distance was 85.910km in the 2024 Up Run.
Fokorani will line up in the men’s category together with Jonathan Chinyoka, Peter Tumbare and Lyno Muchena, while Monica Kativhu is set to take to the starting line in the women’s section.
Fokorani will be making his 12th appearance at the Comrades Marathon and his best result is a fourth-place finish attained in 2016.
Fokorani skipped Two Oceans to focus on Comrades. However, he revealed his preparations did not go as expected.
“It’s now 12 times running and completing the Comrades Marathon. Although I ran in tough conditions sometimes, I managed to finish the race.
“Two Oceans is too close to Comrades, hence the reason why I chose to skip it and just focus on Comrades. In addition to that, I am also a veteran, running Two Oceans and then Comrades within a period of two months seems tough for me now.
“Since it’s an Up Run and my training wasn’t good enough, I am targeting sub seven hours and will fight hard for that,” said Fokorani.
The veteran runner who is also the chairman for Nedbank Running Club Zimbabwe said they have been meeting occasionally due to limited resources.
“Our preparation for the Comrades 2026 was very tough in the sense that, the longer the race distance, the longer the preparation period, meaning it also demands more financial support.
“Only Nedbank Zimbabwe is fully supporting the team, but we still need more especially in the preparation period.
“Like I said, only Nedbank Zimbabwe is assisting with financial resources to the team, and we thank them from the bottom of our hearts,” said Fokorani.
The likes of Muchena and Chinyoka were part of the field for the Two Oceans Marathon in April, and will be hoping for a better showing this time around.
Fokorani, who is the more experienced in this group conceded it’s a tough task going into next month’s race, but urged his teammates to give their best.
“Comrades marathon is a very long journey with high speed these days. Run your pace which leads you to the finishing.
“You have to be strong both mentally and physically to keep moving, you don’t give up especially in last kilometres where the pain speaks louder to stop . . . finishing counts a lot.
“As Zimbabweans we are part of the global village in athletics, we have to compete in these events to keep up with other competitive athletes.
“It’s also an ultimate human race which completely measures our fitness, especially when one manages to finish the event,” added Fokorani.
