Zimuto, Mpofu win Econet Vic Falls marathon
From left, Econet Chief Operating Officer Kezito Makuni hands over prize money to Econet Victoria Falls Marathon 42km winner Tendai Zimuto as Guest of Honour Beatrice Mtetwa and Econet General Manager Marketing Tariro Muchena look on.
ZIMBABWE’S representatives at the upcoming 2024 Olympics Games and World Championships, Isaac Mpofu and Tendai Zimuto are the winners of the 2024 Econet Victoria Falls Marathon 21.1km and 42.2km races respectively.
The two have been training together in camp since January.
Mpofu, a middle and long-distance runner, is preparing for the Olympics to be held in Paris next month and Zimuto, who will represent Zimbabwe at the World Championship in Tokyo next year, has been his camp partner.
Zimuto is from the Zimbabwe National Army’s Black Rhinos Athletics Club and it was his first time to run the Econet 42.2km full marathon, which he won as his club dominated the event.
He has run twice in the CBZ Marathon and Ancient Marathon once where he became Zimbabwe’s fastest long-distance runner at 2:09 minutes.
Zimuto romped home in 2 hours 17 minutes and 14 seconds beating his closest rival Trust Tatenda Hove, who finished the race in 2 hours 23 minutes and 25 seconds.
The top 10 in the men’s 42.2km race was dominated by veteran runners.
Blessing Wayson from Cadence Athletics Club could not make it to the top 10 and he claimed to have lost direction with other athletes after being misdirected by some officials, who were manning the route.
He said when he regained the route it was too late to cover.
In the female category of the 42.2km race, Ethel Pangiso of ZRP defended her title as she romped home in 2 hours 47 minutes, and 14 seconds.
In the 21.1km, men’s category, Mpofu romped home in 1 hour 4 minutes, and 41 seconds relegating defending champion Moses Tarakinyu of Black Rhinos to second place in 1 hour 5 minutes and 4 seconds.
For the first time, a foreigner won the female’s 21.1km race after Elizabeth Mukoloma of Zambia finished in 1 hour 18 minutes and 47 seconds, to beat Patience Garauzive of Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services to second place after she finished in 1 hour 20 minutes and 9 seconds.
Zimuto said winning ahead of veteran athletes was an honour for him.
“Firstly, I want to thank the organisers and my organisation for giving us the chance to come and participate in the Victoria Falls Marathon and time to train, and all the support that they give us. Last year I ran a half marathon and finished in position three and this year I was training for the marathon and I am in camp with Isaac Mpofu for the Paris Olympics.
“So I am happy that this is my first time to run in this event and I came number 1. I am very happy because it is not easy to win these races. There are many athletes and veterans here so to me claiming a championship is a great achievement. The terrain was not easy but I am happy that I managed to win,” he said.
His workmate Tarakinyu said being relegated to second position in the half marathon enhances competition in the event he won on two consecutive years.
“I have competed in this race for some time and I won on two consecutive years but today I couldn’t make it. That’s what makes it a sport. I wasn’t feeling well as I had flu but as a soldier, I had to show endurance. If it wasn’t for that I wouldn’t have even gotten position two,” he said.
Mpofu said he used the event to gauge his time.
“To me, it was just a time gauge because I’m preparing for 42km in Paris, which I will run for the Olympics. Based on the time which I clocked here it shows that we are doing well in training. My focus is to go under 2:10 minutes, and there is still time to prepare because the race is on 10 August,” said Mpofu.
He added: “The terrain was a little bit challenging but with the training that we have done in camp I think we did very well with Tendai. He went to the Netherlands for the Enschede Marathon and ran 2:09 minutes and in Zimbabwe, most athletes finish 42km in 2:17 upwards, so he had an advantage here.”
“This was my second competition in Victoria Falls after last year when I came in position 4. I am grateful that this year I got the first position. Last year I wasn’t fit with an injury and this year I was very careful in terms of training,” said Mukoloma.
The full marathon winner in the female category Pangiso from ZRP Athletics Club said while she slowed down compared to last year, she still won the race finishing in 2 hours 47 minutes, and 39 seconds.
“I am proud that I won although the terrain was very tough. Last year I won in 2 hours 41 minutes and this year I did 2 hours 47 minutes. My challenger was close by and I told myself that I was doing my training so I ran my race and that worked. So I am preparing for the next races now,” she said.
There were also different categories for the specially-abled athletes.
Winning runners got prize money.
National Association of Athletics Zimbabwe president Tendai Tagara commended the event organisers for the event which he said has become important on the national calendar.
“I am happy with our target as a federation for this marathon to grow as that has happened. Tendai Zimuto is one of the prospects for the World Championships next year in Tokyo and the half marathon winner Mpofu is going for the Olympics. So this was a good event for them to prepare speed,” he said.
The Econet Victoria Falls Marathon, now in its 16th year, attracted over 5 200 participants from around the world, including runners from the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, India, Colombia, and Saudi Arabia, among many others.
This year’s participation marked a significant increase from the approximately 4 500 runners last year, cementing the marathon’s growing popularity on the world stage.
Econet Chief Operating Officer Kezito Makuni congratulated the winners, praising their remarkable resilience and tenacity on the track.
“Today, we celebrate not just the victory of the winners, but the indomitable spirit that drives each one of you.
“Your perseverance serves as an inspiration to us all, reminding us that success is born out of a dedication to relentless effort and unwavering commitment,” he said.