LONG-distance runner Sharon Tawengwa is set to leave the country tomorrow to participate at the Nice 42km marathon race slated for France on Sunday. Kenneth Nyangani Sports Correspondent
This will be the first major event for Tawengwa after she pulled out of the Summer London Olympics in August this year citing a knee injury.
And in the past few weeks she has been participating in various half-marathons in the country. Last month she won the Tanganda Half-Marathon in Mutare, before she shrugged off stiff competition in the same environs to win the 21km Vumba Half-Marathon at Leopard Rock Hotel last Sunday.
Tawengwa, who spoke to NewsDay Sport after her triumph in Vumba over the weekend, said her main target was her level of fitness.
“l will be flying to France on Thursday (tomorrow) ahead of the 42km Nice Marathon race on Sunday. I do not have any particular target at the race. The major issue why l am participating at this race is to find out if l’m able to finish a 42km race after l pulled out of the Olympics race with a knee problem,” she said.
“lf I fail to finish the race, then l’m going to take a long break. I have been going to South Africa for check-ups and if everything goes well I am going to have an operation in the same country thereafter.”
National Athletics’ Association of Zimbabwe director of coaching Tendai Tagara said they were rallying behind the athlete.
“She is one of the best female marathon runners we have in the country. And we fully behind her. I think her fitness has improved significantly considering how she has been performing in half-marathons,” she said.
