DURBAN Zimbabwean long distance runner, Stephen Muzhingi, put up a spirited show as he successfully defended his crown in the 2010 Comrades Marathon race, held in South Africa Sunday. Muzhingi, who cruised home with a time of 5:29, was the only Zimbabwean male to finish among the first 10, in the event that was otherwise dominated by the host countrys athletes. The 34-year-old Zimbabwean, who won the same event last year, after clocking 05:23:27, also became one of the few men to successfully defend the first position.
Muzhingi, with sunglasses perched on his forehead, stuck with the leading pack from the start of the race, where he anchored the first 10 men leader board, where fellow Zimbabwean, Michael Chidodo, set the pace to the halfway mark to claim the Cash Hot Sport of R12 000.
The early stages promised rich pickings for Zimbabweans, as Michael Ngaseke and Professor Mollen were among the six Zimbabweans in the top 10 to pass the 31km mark.
However, novice Chidodo crumbled and pulled out of the race after the halfway mark and the other four Zimbabweans were left behind, leaving defending champion Muzhingi to fight it out to eventually win the Gold Medal and its accompanying R250 000 first prize money.
Muzhingi, who was one of the 78 Zimbabwean runners taking part in this 85th edition of the annual event, said after the race that he felt the pressure of being the defending champion this year.
It was like everyone was targeting me for just being the defending champion of the race, said the Zimbabwean.
There were these two guys who stuck by me for the better part of the last stage and they gave me hell. They increased the pace with me when I did so and decreased when I decreased mine and it gave me quite a big pressure to try and break away from them, but I am happy that I finally managed to leave them behind and eventually win the race.
Muzhingis triumph atoned for the NedBank Two Oceans Marathon, where he finished in fourth position in April this year.
South African athletes occupied the remaining eight positions, with Ludwick Mamabolo, Sergio Motsoeneng and Bongumusa Mthembu coming out second, third and fourth in that order, while Fanie Matshipa, Fusi Nhlapo and Claude Moshiywa occupied the next three positions.
Petros Sosibo (8th) and Peter Nhlapo (9th) completed a near clean sweep for the hosts, while Leboka Noto salvaged 10th position for Lesotho.
Russian twins and defending champions Elena and Olesya Nurhalieva were the first women to cross the line at the finish of this year Comrades Marathon in Durban.
Elena crossed the line first followed by her twin-sister Olesya. They too, just like Muzhingi who won the men’s race, failed to break their last year’s record.
The Comrades Marathon is the world’s oldest and largest ultramarathon run over a distance of approximately 90 km between the Kwazulu-Natal capital – Pietermaritzburg and the coastal city of Durban.
Post published in: Athletics