Choppies 10km race on

Sport
THE annual Choppies 10km race expected to attract athletes from Bulawayo and around the country will be held in the city on Sunday.

THE annual Choppies 10km race expected to attract athletes from Bulawayo and around the country will be held in the city on Sunday. SUKOLUHLE MTHETHWA SPORTS REPORTER

The sponsors have maintained last year’s total package sponsorship of R100 000 for the race which will start at Nkulumane Choppies to Choppies Bellevue and back the same route to the starting point.

Bulawayo Athletics Board (BAB) secretary-general Dailes Bingadadi yesterday confirmed the competition.

“The Choppies 10km race is on this Sunday,” she said.

“Many athletes expressed interest in the race when we had the Hope Fountain 30km Race so we expect a huge turnout.”

The competition had initially been set for December 7 in Bulawayo, but was brought forward to November 23 to avoid a clash with the African Union Sports Council Region 5 Youth Games to be held in the city from December 5 to 14.

Bingadadi urged athletes to come in their numbers while paying tribute to the sponsors for their efforts.

“As BAB we appreciate the sponsorship that we are getting from the sponsors,” she said.

“We are grateful for what they are doing because the athletes are benefiting. The athletes get money if they perform well. We are expecting athletes like Samukeliso Moyo, Sharon Tavengwa, Phathisa Ngwabi and defending champions Rutendo Nyahora and Kelvin Pangiso to participate,” she said.

The Choppies 10km Race was known as Spar 10km Race until it was rebranded last year.

Last year’s winners in the seniors in both men and women’s categories pocketed R5 000 each.

Middle-distance runner Nyahora successfully defended the title after she crossed the line in 35mins 17secs.

She had in 2012 won it in 31mins 10secs while the previous year she completed the race in 32mins 41secs.

Nyahora is buoyant having won the Old Mutual Vumba Mountain Race early this month defending her title in a time of one hour 17mins 17secs and could be eager to again retain the Choppies 10km race title. She also won the Gutu Half Marathon clocking one hour 16mins 32,90secs this month.

Pangiso romped home first in 30mins 31secs to win the Choppies race in the men’s category.

Runners-up will walk away with R3 000, third-placed athletes are expected to pocket R1 500 while those who will finish fourth will get R500 each.

In the juniors and wheelchair categories, winners will walk away R1 500 richer, with R1 000 in store for the runners-up while those who finish third will receive R750 each.