CONGRATULATIONS to Nkosiyazi Sibanda for winning the inaugural Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo half-marathon in Bulawayo on Sunday.
-Innocent Kurwa
Hats off to the runner for saying what most of us have said from the sidelines, that there is a dearth of competition in Zimbabwe sport in general and particularly in athletics.
In short, athletics is in the intensive care unit at present and needs urgent resuscitation. In this regard, it is, therefore, pretty gratifying to see that we have a new marathon on the horizon following the announcement last week of the inaugural Masiye Phambili Marathon, scheduled to take place in Bulawayo next month.
The new marathon is hopefully a sign of better times coming back to athletics and the clarion call is that let us go running in this marathon.
The marathon is being organised jointly by the Bulawayo City Council, the Southern Eye and the National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe (NAAZ). There is still enough time, a whole month in fact, for all those want to have fun in this marathon to get themselves fit and ready.
The primary reason anyone should take part in the marathon is just to have fun while at the same time exercising and getting rid of that weight and fat. It is healthy indeed and all the joggers we often see around the suburbs, on some kind of around the streets race should join this marathon – it is just more exciting and challenging to compete against someone.
Finishing among the medal places is not the objective, simply finishing the full course within the time limit set by the organisers.
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The organisers will hopefully set a maximum time within which even those wanting to literally walk through the marathon can finish and, I am sure, whoever completes the race will be given a certificate, even if it is only an ‘attendance’ certificate. The organisers should also have different winning categories – seniors, veterans, juniors, beginners etc – in addition to the usual men’s and women’s medals for those finishing in the top ten or 20. It is a pity that the organizers have already decided that one needs to be aged at least 18 years in order to participate – maybe this is in accordance with IAAF rules and regulations. It would have been good, though if the minimum cut-off was 16-years-of-age.
In the marathons many of us are used to the categories included first schoolboy home, first schoolgirl home, first junior home etc, a clear indication that some of the runners were below the age of 18 years.
Maybe it is not too late for the organisers to revisit this issue and lower the minimum age they will accept for taking part.
The other reason for running in this marathon is simply to enjoy the scenic views of the city that are suggested by the organisers when they say the “route will traverse through the city touching some of Bulawayo famous landmarks”.
Places like the St Mary’s Basilica, the Mater Dei Hospital and the Centenary Park should surely find their way into the course for this marathon – it would be wonderful to finish at the Bulawayo Amphitheatre after starting at the Large City Hall! The new marathon can also be used to raise funds for charity, as happens during events such as the London Marathon.
In other words, people should be allowed to enter the marathon purely to raise funds for their favourite charity and, in such case, the rules should be flexible enough to allow such indulgence – for example those entering the marathon to raise funds might want to change runners at stages, something along a relay race.
It is my hope that, as the organisers state in their announcement, that a testing but scenic course is set and, in a bid to get the ordinary person involved and also in order to get buy-in from the start, maybe the organisers should invite members of the public to suggest a course.
To get the ball rolling, such a course to me would be: start Large City Hall on the Leopold Takawira Avenue side, turn right into L Takawira, right into Robert Mugabe, proceed into Matopos Road, right into Napier Avenue proceed into Wellington Road through to Masiye Phambili Drive, thus justifying the name of the marathon, through to Nkulumane Shopping Mall, right into Khami Road past Western Commonage police station and over the railway line to Basch Street, left until Eighth Avenue at the entrance to Ross Camp, right into Eighth Avenue, right into Lobengula left into Ninth Avenue left into Samuel Parirenyatwa and right into Leopold Takawira to finish at the Amphitheatre.
Of course, the organisers appear to have set the course already and it would be nice to know the course early so that those who want to test it in preparation can do. We all used to know the course of the Matopos 33-miler, for example!
One thing for sure, yours truly will be running this one, just finish, provided of course the doctor gives a green light in terms of ability to endure the 42,2km marathon.
Anyone with brand new size 8 running shoes please? Sponsors are also welcome with running vest and shorts as well as a team of supporters – car is available – to carry lots o water and cheer me along the way.
The organisers should rope in companies like Toppers, the uniform people, Esats, Raj Modi and his Spar chain, Lobels, Bakers Inn, just to mention a few, to sponsor all sorts of prizes. For example there could be spot prizes for reaching some point within a given time.
To add to the fun companies and friends, including drinking mates, can enter the marathon as teams with the winning team being decided on one with the largest number of those that finish the marathon within the set time.
