Vusumuzi Dube
Brandon Moyo, Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE professional ultra marathon runners and running fanatics will be among many thousands taking part in this morning’s Comrades Marathon in South Africa.
This year it is the downhill run and the event will start in Pietermaritzburg and end in Durban.
The Comrades Marathon has over the years attracted good numbers of social runners from Zimbabwe.
To date Stephen Muzhingi remains the most successful of the Zimbabweans with three wins of the event in the men’s category.
This year’s edition of the prestigious race will be the 96th edition and promises to be a great outing. Zimbabwean athletes, like many others from around the world, are geared up for one of the continent’s best marathons.
Some of the Zimbabwean athletes who will be taking part in the marathon include Lovemore Chabata, Edwin Chimombe, Shepherd Chitake, Prodigal Khumalo, Obrien Bvindi and Tendai Victor Bango among others.
It could not be ascertained from Athletics Zimbabwe who among Zimbabwe’s top athletes have registered. A quick Google search established that over 100 Zimbabweans will line up at the starting point.
It is hoped that once again the country’s elite runners will feature among the rop 20 athletes.
Bulawayo’s Fitness First Club, which has sent 14 athletes to the event.
For most of the club members, the goal is to better their times.
The club has athletes such as Fatima Hassin, Claudia Paidamwoyo Matuvi, Hellen Kufahakutizwi, Fidelis Bhebhe, Geeshem Chiwetu, Tawanda Dzudzo, David Gondongwe, Andrew Mhere, Noel Mugiyo, Obvious Muzvondiwa, Langathiwe Ncube, Talent Ncube, Langton Yeneya, and Vicent V Ndlovu.
“From Bulawayo, Zimbabwe to eThekwini we present to you the tough, brave and daring 2023 Comrades Marathon runners. Your cheers and your support means a lot to our Comrades runners taking up the Challenge,” the club said.
The 96th Comrades Marathon will be starting at the Pietermaritzburg City Hall at 05.30am and ending 12 hours later at the HollywoodBets Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban. The distance will be 87,7-kilometres and will be the 48th Comrades Down Run.
It is also the world’s biggest and oldest ultra-marathon. — Follow on Twitter @brandon_malvin.
Online Reporter