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Petros Kausiyo in Budapest, Hungary

ZIMBABWE’s two marathon athletes at the World Athletics Championships finished in the top 50 in Hungary this morning.

Top long distance runner Isaac Mpofu ran a season’s best time when turning on a commendable show that earned him a 16th place in the men’s marathon at the World Athletics Championships run around the Budapest Heroes Square.

Mpofu, the first of the Zimbabwean athletes to secure qualification for the 2024 Olympic Games in France completed the marathon in 2 hours 11 minutes 33 seconds.

In a closely contested and exciting race Uganda’s Victor r Kiplagat claimed gold after gallantly protecting his lead to win his country’s second ever world marathon title in 2:08:53.

Israeli Maru Teferi survived a fall after the 30km point to finish second in a season best of 2:09:12, as Ethiopia’s Leul Gebresilase took bronze in 2:09:19.

Mpofu’s teammate Ngonidzashe Ncube finished 37th when also clocking a season best 2:17:02 after shrugging of a recurrence of a toe injury which he said flared up in the last five kilometres.