Old Mutual Vumba Half Marathon explodes

27 Oct, 2017 - 00:10 0 Views
Old Mutual Vumba Half Marathon explodes Long distance runners battle it out in last year's edition of the Tanganda Tea half marathon

The ManicaPost

Ray Bande Senior Sports Reporter
THE 2017 edition of the Old Mutual Vumba Half Marathon gets underway tomorrow (Saturday) in the popular and picturesque undulating terrain, with Olympian Rutendo Nyahora gunning for a third consecutive title. Registration of long distance runners started more than two weeks ago.

The Old Mutual Vumba Half Marathon is an annual long distance running competition held in the undulating terrain of the Eastern Highlands. It is sponsored by one of leading insurance companies, Old Mutual. Manicaland Athletics Board chairperson, Joshua Matume, confirmed that all was set for the potentially exciting event.

“We started registration of athletes more than two weeks ago and we are looking forward to a bigger and better event this year. There are a number of improvements that have been made from last year and we are happy that all is set for the event,” said Matume.

The 2016 Old Mutual Vumba Half Marathon edition saw 2015 champion Mutare-born Millen Mathende failing to defend his title as he settled for second position and admitted that the eventual winner, Conisious Nyamutsita was stronger than him. In the men’s category, unheralded Harare long distance runner, Nyamutsita, defied all odds when he romped home in one hour 14 minutes, 53 seconds to win last year’s edition.

Nyamutsita was first to cross the finishing line ahead of the then defending champion, Matende who came second after completing the race in one hour 15 minutes, 40 seconds. In 2015 when Mathende won the event, Nyamutsita caused confusion after he hit the ribbon first in 57 minutes. For a moment there was shock as his time was faster than the official International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) world half marathon record of 58 minutes, 23 seconds set by Zersenay Tadese of Eritrea on March 21, 2010 in Lisbon, Portugal.

But it was later realised that he had cut about four kilometres of the race because of lack of officials who gave directions to athletes and lack of clear markings.  But last year Nyamutsita made amends and won the race without any doubt. Munyaradzi Jari came third, 10 seconds behind Matende. Last year, not even the winner, Nyamutsita nor Matende could break the one hour, 15 minutes winning time that Matende achieved in 2015.

In the ladies’ category, Olympian Nyahora retained her Vumba Half Marathon title after crossing the finishing line in one hour, 29 minutes 13 seconds. Veteran long distance runner, Constance Nyasango, came second after completing the race in one hour, 30 minutes, 54 seconds.

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