The Sunday News
Sisa Sihwa, Sports Reporter
PREPARATIONS for the Hope Fountain 30km race and 7,5km fun walk have reached an advanced stage as the Rotary Club of Belmont aims at reviving this year’s event.
The annual event did not occur for the past two years because of lack of financial resources and failure to finalise logistics. This year the Rotary Club of Belmont has partnered with PPC Zimbabwe and other companies as sponsors to raise funds that will go as prizes for athletes.
The race is bankrolled by the Rotary Club of Bulawayo to the tune of $5 000.
Registration for the event that is on Sunday will be done a day before at the Centenary Park.
Race co-ordinator, Thabani Mashava said he was happy to have the race back on the calendar and it’s all systems go.
“All logistics have been finalised and all is set for this year’s edition of the race and we are waiting for the registration that will take place at the Centenary Park the whole day. We are very excited to have the race this year which is in the athletics calendar,” Mashava said.
He said registration fees for the event are pegged at $5 for adults and $3 for children below the age of 12.
The top three in the men and women’s events will each receive $300, $200, $100 respectively.
The junior men and women’s prizes for the first place are $150, runners up are $100 and for third place is $75.
For wheelchairs, the winner will get $200, runners up will get $150 and the prize for third place is $75. The veterans, these being those aged 40-45, masters 50-59 and grand masters who are over 60 categories will get $125 for gold, $85 for silver and $53 for bronze.
Mashava said the remaining money raised from the event will be donated to a charity organisation that is yet to be identified.
The athletes will start at Centenary Park and finish at Hillside dams.
According to Mashava the race attracts about 200 athletes around Bulawayo as the event is a big one which is crucial to them.
“A lot of athletes use this race to prepare themselves for major competitions, while earning an opportunity to rise through the ranks and it is a significant race for them hence it is on athletics calendar,” he said.
The Rotary Club of Belmont will be co-ordinating the race, while the Bulawayo Athletics Board will direct the logistics of the athletes making the club aware of the conditions necessary for the athletes.
“This year we are planning to revive the event which is our signature project as the Rotarians. We will have a presentation and an aerobics session after the race at Hillside Dams to encourage healthy lifestyles in order to curb diseases that can be averted through exercise,” Mashava said.-@J_sihwa
