82 nd Position at Comrades no worry for NAAZ

Stephen Muzhingi won the Comrades marathon in 2009, 2021 and 2011

Gilbert Munetsi

Zimbabwe has no runners in the top 50 of this year’s edition of the Comrades marathon held in South Africa this August after best performer Liberty Malabwa landed an 82nd position.

Tendai Tagara, the chairman of the National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe (NAAZ) told ZimNow they were not worried about the dismal performance in Comrades, and would not lose sleep over it.

“As an association we do not encourage our athletes to take part in ultra- marathons. We leave those to people who are in the twilight of their careers… those above 35 because even if they are no longer able to compete after that, we know we have not lost out,” he said.

Emmanuel Mutikani at 105 and Professor Ncube on position 122 were the only other two who put in a good show in the gruelling challenge that saw 13 213 participants test their ultimate endurance levels. Other contestants Shingirirai Badza, Lovemore Chabata, Alfred Benhura, Andrew Chimbidzokai and Mike Fokorani also ran.

Stephen Muzhingi, back in 2009, was the first Zimbabwean to win the race, and went on to maintain the same form in 2010 and 2011, becoming the first man in 23 years to win the Comrades three successive times.

He was hosted to a State banquet and given a monetary token of US$50 000 and a diplomatic passport.

Run annually between Pietermaritzburg and Durban over an 89km stretch, the ultra-marathon is dubbed the “Ultimate Race on Earth.”

The hosts, South Africa, who provided the winner in Tete Dijana (05:30:38) also had seven other runners making the first batch to the finishing line. So intense is the Comrades Marathon that this year, for instance, two participants died and 82 were hospitalised.