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Innocent Kurira, [email protected]

SPRINT runner Ryan Dube, stole the limelight at the Bulawayo Athletics Board (Bab), inter-club championships held at White City Stadium at the weekend, after finishing the 100m race in 10.19 seconds.

In second place was Wesley Rhunhindi, who clocked a time of 10.50 seconds. Mthabisi Dube followed five microseconds later, to emerge as the third-best athlete.

For Ryan, the time was not too far from the Olympic qualifying time of 10.00 seconds.
Bulawayo Athletics Board (Bab) chairperson, Watson Madanyika, says the time run by Dube is an indication athletes are improving in terms of their times.

“Athletes have improved as indicated by the results. If you take time to analyse the results, the 100m senior men was run in I0.19 seconds by Ryan Dube, of House of Champions Athletics Club. It’s an impressive run. What we need now, is to have more competitions so that our athletes can improve further and stand a chance to qualify for international meets,” said Madanyika.
He said the competition was well attended.

“We had clubs such as Sacred Heart College from Midlands, Camelot from Kwekwe, Rottenview from Kadoma and Binga Academy from Matabeleland North. We also had clubs from Matabeleland South such as Blanket Mine.

“Locally, we had clubs that include Riverdale Academy, ZRP Ntabazinduna, ZRP Bulawayo, ZPCS, Elite, Northlea High School, and Hamilton High,” said Madanyika.

In the 100m women’s category Mufaro Munyika won the race with a time of 14.57 seconds.

Cynthia Moyo and Ireen Katiyo were second and third respectively.

Moyo managed to finish the race in 14.80 seconds while Katiyo had a time of 14.99 seconds.

The 200m men’s race was won by Usheunesu Saurombe in 22.86 seconds.

There was also time for the ZITF Four Minute Mile Qualifiers.

Three athletes took part but all failed to qualify for the finals. The prerequisite time for one to qualify for the next stage is four minutes 31 seconds.

Trust Chidomaya failed to finish the race, while Nkosinathi Ndlovu and Mthokozisi Mhlanga ran times of four minutes 35 seconds and four minutes 41 seconds respectively.

Meanwhile, Bab is now looking forward to the hosting of the Matopos PPC 33-miler marathon. Registration fees are pegged at US$20 for the 53 km marathon and US$10 for the other categories. In the past, the event has attracted over 3 000 athletes participating in different categories.  The 53km ultra-marathon starts inside the Matopo National Park and concludes at Bulawayo Athletic Club (BAC). Just after Woolandale Road is where the 21.1-km gets underway and ends at BAC as well.

Tshabalala Sanctuary is the starting point for the 10-km fun run with its conclusion being at BAC ,which is also the starting as well as ending point for the five kilometre race.

The marathon is one of the biggest races which attract top athletes in the country. – @innocentskizoe.