Sibanda to defend Falls marathon title

Sport
DEFENDING Victoria Falls marathon champion Nkosiyazi Sibanda could clinch a record fourth victory if he wins the Econet Wireless-sponsored marathon in the resort town on Sunday.

DEFENDING Victoria Falls marathon champion Nkosiyazi Sibanda could clinch a record fourth victory if he wins the Econet Wireless-sponsored marathon in the resort town on Sunday.

Nkosiyazi-Sibanda-kilometer

SUKOLUHLE MTHETHWA SPORTS REPORTER

Sibanda first won the competition in 2006 in a time of 2hrs 23mins 13secs.

In 2012 he romped home first in a time of 2hrs 23mins 25secs before winning last year’s edition clocking 2hrs 19mins 11secs.

“My preparations for the competition have been going on very well. I have been training for about two hours a week. I have been doing that so that I do not get tired before the race,” Sibanda said.

“I want to improve on my time. My target is two hours 18 minutes. I have managed to win the full marathon three times because I work very hard at training. There is no way I can get these results without training very hard.”

The winner of this year’s men and women’s marathon would each pocket $800, $675 for the second-placed athletes, $500 for third spot, $400 will got to the fourth-placed athletes, $300 for position five, $200 will go to the sixth-placed athletes and $150 for position seven.

The eighth-placed athletes would each get $100, ninth-placed  will receive $75 while the tenth-placed athlete would pocket  $50.

The  men and women athletes who cross  the line first in  the half-marathon would  each get $450, runners-up $325, third-placed $250, fourth-placed would pocket $200, the fifth-placed athlete would be awarded $150, sixth-placed $125, $100 for position seven, $75 for position eight, $50 for position nine and $25 for position 10.

Last year, the competition attracted local athletes as well as those from  Japan, Brazil, Scotland, the United States, France, South Africa, Ukraine and  Germany.