Online Reporter
Ellina Mhlanga
Zimpapers Sports Hub
FOLLOWING his participation at the Southern Region Senior Athletics Championships over the weekend, Tendai Zimuto is convinced that his preparations can move a gear up for the World Meet.
Zimuto is one of a growing contingent of Zimbabwean athletes expected to line up for the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan from September 13 to 21.
He was part of the field for the men’s 10 000m and came second in 30 minutes 43.33 seconds in a race won by Botswana’s Oontse Lopang with a time of 30 minutes 42.13 seconds.
Zimuto qualified along with Isaac Mpofu for the men’s marathon at the World Championships.
“I am in camp preparing for a big competition so as part of my preparation I am happy, the coach is happy, my training partner is happy with today’s performance.
“Also, I got the chance to gauge where I am with my preparations, like endurance. Now I know I have endurance, the speed is there, we can go and correct one or two things for the main competition that is ahead of me,” said Zimuto.
Also in attendance at the regional championships at the University of Zimbabwe, was veteran coach Benson Chauke, who is working with the two long distance runners.
Unlike his training partner Mpofu, who has been to the championships before, Zimuto is set to make his maiden appearance at the global meet.
Chauke said they were looking at competition experience as the World Championships draw closer.
“We need, one, competitiveness, competition experience, just being there, two, checking on whether we could maintain certain speed splits for 10 000 and also trying to see if we could hang on to probably people that are specialising for these shorter distances.
“We have seen that we have not really toned-down our programme to really address full-speed sessions.
“But so far, I am happy for him running an average of maybe three minutes per kilometre for a marathon with a month and a half to go to his targeted race. I think this is a good performance. I am happy with the time.”
The two athletes have participated in different races including the Tanganda half marathon and the Econet Victoria Falls Marathon as part of the assessment towards their main competition.
“We were dealing with two people. One was coming from injury, one was coming from competition.
“It was like giving the one coming from competition a lower load and trying to gradually give more load to Isaac, who was coming from injury and being cautious, seeing how he was responding to training.
“In the process, we used specific races, road races, Tanganda and Victoria Falls, just to give him one competitive edge. And two, to see how he would feel after those particular two races.
“Then thereafter, we also had to tone down Tendai to try and come down to run a faster 10 000 for this particular competition for the nation, just to give him that feeling of representing the country at home, in your national colours, before your own people.
“Now that this has been said and done, we are now going to specific sessions. Specific in everything that we do,” Chauke said.
Mpofu is content with the progress made so far.
“So far everything is going well in camp. We are taking it one day at a time trying to reach the targeted times with the coach.
“Now we are just left with a few weeks that we are focusing on trying to run good times. If we run under 2:10 at the World Championships, that will be good, that will be good progress for the future,” said Mpofu.
Mpofu will be looking at building on his experience having been to the championships before.
His last major event was the Olympic Games last year in France.
