Siphakeme .Mnindwa
Innocent Kurira
THE ninth edition of the Liquor Hub 10km Fun Run Charity Race is set to take place on 22 December with lucrative prizes on offer.
The men’s and women’s winners will each pocket R3 500, while the top three finishers in the junior men’s and women’s categories will receive R1 250, R800 and R600, respectively.
In addition, the top two finishers in the male and female wheelchair sections will receive R1 500 and R1 000, respectively. The event, which starts and ends at the Liquor Hub on Fife Street in the Bulawayo Central Business District, has attracted some of the country’s top road runners in the past, including Moses Tarakinyu, Jonathan Chinyoka, and Trust Chidomaya and Olivia Chitate.
Registration for the event is underway at Liquor Hub Wholesale Centre, with fees set at $5 for seniors and $3 for juniors. Proceeds from the event will be donated to charities.
Bulawayo Athletics Board chairperson Watson Madenyika expressed his excitement about the event.
“We are looking forward to this event, which will bring the year to a close for us. This is one of the main events on our calendar, and we are more than excited to be hosting the ninth edition.”
Last year, veteran long-distance runners Moses Tarakinyu and Ethel Dangiso were crowned champions in the men’s and women 10km races respectively.
Tarakinyu from Black Rhinos was first to the finishing line in 29 minutes and 35 seconds. He was followed by Wayne Kabondo in a time of 29 minutes and 57 seconds. Wellington Varevi was third this time around. He crossed the finishing line in 30 minutes and 52 seconds.
In the women’s category, Dangiso was first across the line in the women’s category while Namhonesu Mabvuko and Tulange Mudenda came in second and third respectively. Dangiso finished the race in 36 minutes and 47 seconds.
Mabvuko crossed the finishing line in 37 minutes and 58 seconds. In third place was Mudenda who completed the race in 41 minutes and 07 seconds.
Munyaradzi Katiyo won the men’s wheelchair category with a time of 28 minutes and 53 seconds while Stella Jongwe won the women’s category in 36 minutes and 40 seconds.
Meanwhile, the Bulawayo Marathon, a premier event in the country’s athletics calendar, is set to make a comeback in 2025 after a long hiatus. The last edition of the race in 2005 was sponsored by Coca-Cola.
The marathon is scheduled to take place on 19 April 2025 at White City Stadium.
The entry fees for the 21km, 10km, and 5km races are set at $15. Registration for the Bulawayo Half-Marathon will open on 15 January 2025 and close on 15 April 2025.
Athletes can collect their race numbers and register late at White City Stadium from 16 to 18 April, between 9am and 5pm.
On the day of the race, collection and registration will take place just before the race.
