Staff Writer 
OLYMPIAN Isaac Mpofu underlined his remarkable consistency by winning the Old Mutual Harare Marathon, which was held at Old Georgians Sports Club yesterday morning.
The World Athletics–recognised race saw Mpofu clinch the gold in 2 hours, 18 minutes, and 25 seconds, ahead of Owen Slowly, who finished in 2 hours, 20 minutes, and 36 seconds to claim the silver medal.
Blessing Waison secured the bronze, reaching the podium after clocking 2 hours, 29 minutes, and 32 seconds.
In the women’s 42-kilometre category, Kenyan Sylvia Kwambai came first in a time of 2 hours, 56 minutes, and 3 seconds, ahead of Ethel Sibanda and Rutendo Nyahora, who finished second and third, respectively.
Moses Tarakinyu won the men’s 21-kilometre race ahead of Godwin Katakura and Tatenda Hove, while Fortunate Chidzivo beat Caroline Mhandu and Miriam Sibanda to the finishing line in the women’s category.
Mpofu, who finished 10th at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, United States, has since placed 15th at the 2023 edition in Budapest and 19th at the 2024 Paris Olympics, reaffirming his status as one of Africa’s leading marathoners.
The marathon, hosted in partnership with the Harare Athletics Club (HAC), is the first major athletics event of the year in the country. It attracted around 3,000 runners who took part in the 5, 10, 21, and 42 kilometre races.
It also included 54 elite athletes competing across the distance categories, some of whom travelled from as far as Kenya.
The Old Mutual Harare Marathon is a World Athletics–recognised race which provides an important platform that positions local elite runners to qualify for major global competitions such as the Comrades Marathon, Two Oceans Marathon, and Boston Marathon.
