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Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
THE inaugural Bulawayo Marathon sponsored by Pepsi hangs in the balance with organisers contemplating postponing the road race as a precaution against the cholera outbreak.

The race is scheduled for September 29.

A number of runners that wanted to register for the race were yesterday turned away by officials manning the registration desk at the Rainbow Hotel.

Bulawayo Athletics Board (Bab) chairman Manuel Mpofu told Chronicle Sport yesterday that they were meeting the race sponsors, who include main funders Pepsi, the National Social Security Authority (NSSA) and Rainbow Hotel, to map the way forward.

“We’ve just received a call from the sponsors and we are meeting them tonight to find the way forward. As Bab, we are ready for the race, but it seems something urgent has come up and we will only comment after the meeting,” said Mpofu.

Asked if they would cancel the event despite cholera tests emerging negative in Bulawayo, Mpofu said:

“We stand guided by the relevant authorities. We will only comment after we’ve met the sponsors. As a board we value the health of participants and we appreciate the confidence the corporate world is having in our board to organise races that develop talent.”

Should the race go ahead, it will become the second race to be held in the city this month following the POSB 15km Fun Run a fortnight ago.

Mpofu also explained why the Bulawayo Marathon was starting with the 21km run instead of the 42.2km.

“The idea is to kick start the Bulawayo Marathon, whose main objective is to market the city through athletics. The race will grow into a full marathon in two or three years’ time. We are confident that if we keep attracting sponsors, nothing can deter us from getting more partners to grow the race into a full marathon,” Mpofu said. – @ZililoR