SPORTS WRITER
HARARE erupted into a vibrant sea of blue yesterday morning, as thousands of fitness enthusiasts, recreational joggers, and professional athletes converged at the Old Georgians Sports Club in Mount Pleasant for the Stanbic Bank Blue Run Half Marathon.
The highly-anticipated half marathon turned the regular pavement routes of the capital city into a grand, energetic celebration of health, determination, and community solidarity.
This prestigious inaugural annual event, which was meticulously administered in close partnership with the seasoned organisers at the Harare Athletic Club (HAC), officially kicked off at 6:00 in the morning.
Eager participants took to the road across three distinct distance categories-a demanding 21.1 km half marathon for long-distance specialists, a highly competitive 10 km stretch for speed runners, and a lively five kilometre fun run designed specifically for corporate teams, families, and casual walkers. The complex logistics of the day were flawlessly managed by Harare Athletic Club, ensuring a smooth and highly coordinated experience from the initial starting gun to the very final crossing of the finish line.
In the male category of the competitive 21.1 Kilometres, veteran Solomon Mutsikamahwe came first after clocking One hour, 13 minutes and 36 seconds. Mutsikamahwe, who ran 85.777 km in the legendary Comrades Marathon Up Run from Durban to Pietermaritzburg last June, beat Kefalos Club’s Marvelous Chirunge into second place. Chirunge came home in one hour, 23 minutes and 40 seconds, about a minute better than HAC’s Chirunge.
The female category of the 21.1 Kilometres race was equally competitive, with HAC’s Danielle Wild 01:22:47 coming home first in a time of one hour, 22 minutes and 47 seconds. Wild came home earlier than Julie Haisoswi. The third woman home was HAC’s Chipo Moyana in one hour, 32 minutes and 53 seconds.
Tendo Club’s Nyasha Chiuswa was the first man home in the 10-kilometre race in a time of 37 minutes 55 seconds. Chiuswa’s time was about four minutes better than that of second-placed Oratile Mazivananga from HAC.Third-placed Learnmore Murimbizhu from Stanbic Club was just a minute shy of the time clocked by Mazivananga.
In the female category of the 10-kilometre race, HAC’s Taongashe Mukoweshuro was the queen in a time of 56 minutes, 42 seconds, with Stanbic Club’s Matipa Mawere crossing the finish line three minutes later.RBZ’s Sandra Ntini was in position three after clocking an hour.
With lifestyle-related health concerns continuing to dominate global conversations, organisers were without doubt delighted to have created a dynamic platform for people to prioritise their physical and mental well-being in a spirited and supportive environment.