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Leonard Ncube

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VICTORIA Falls is a hive of activity as athletes and other stakeholders for the 2023 Econet Victoria Falls Marathon have started arriving for the event set for tomorrow, 2 July.

This year’s marathon, with over 4 500 registered athletes according to organisers, marks the event sponsors Econet’s 25th anniversary.

A group of ultra-marathon enthusiasts took off on a relay from Bulawayo on Friday to mark the anniversary and is expected end of the day in the resort city.

Some organisations such as Prevail International Group of Companies Zimbabwe, through its new brand Talk Chart, and International Fund for Animal Welfare (Ifaw) have partnered Econet, in celebrating the silver jubilee.

All races, 42km, 21km, 7.5 and relay will start and end at Baobab Primary School grounds.

Starting on Friday, athletes had started arriving and completing registration processes at Cresta Sprayview Hotel where they were being given race numbers and branded material.

The stage and various platforms are almost ready while various exhibitors who include wildlife management organisations, tourism players and private organisations were putting final touches to their stands.

The route has been marked and sign posts erected while a canvas perimeter fence has been erected around the school, which is set to benefit from hosting the event due to renovations being done on its infrastructure including the grounds.

 Some organisations have partnered the organisers and brought staff to participate at the event to promote their brands and also make the marathon enjoyable.

Ifaw vice president Jimmiel Mandima said the organisation had mobilised 25 rangers to take part in the event, to raise awareness on human-wildlife conflict and the need for humans and animals to co-exist.

“Ifaw believes in healthy people and ecosystems and sport is part of what we all should be doing. Ifaw believes that people and wildlife should thrive together. We are an organisation that believes in the welfare of rangers and we are fielding 25 rangers form the places we operate from, here in Hwange and Victoria Falls,” said Mandima.

He said the idea is to keep rangers healthy and fit through welfare activities as they are doing serious work to protect our national heritage in the park.

Ifaw is undertaking a number of programmes in partnership with Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority.

The Econet Victoria Falls Marathon has become one of the biggest road races on the calendar. It’s fully flavoured with international athletes drawn from several countries giving locals exposure.