LONG distance runner Monica Kativhu doubts she will be able to defend her PPC Matopos 33-miler Ultra-Marathon title on Saturday, as she is fatigued following her participation in the Zululand Nongoma 56km Ultra-Marathon where she came third last week.
BY FORTUNE MBELE
She, however, says she will take part in the race and will be using it to prepare for the 2017 Comrades Marathon in South Africa on June 4.
Kativhu came third in the Zululand Nongoma 56km race in 4:29:00 last Sunday.
“I am taking part in the Matopos 33-miler, but after the Nongoma 56km race, my recovery has been slow. I am not too sure if I will be able to defend my Matopos race title, but anything can happen. My reason for taking part in the Matopos 33-miler is I will be using that race to prepare for the upcoming Comrades Marathon in June. I am training, but my recovery has not been that good,” she said.
The International Association of Athletics Federations-certified race is a qualifying event for international races, including the Comrades Marathon which will have a shorter route of 86,73km this year compared to the 2015 route which was 87,72km.
Kativhu, of Hillmax Athletics Club in Harare, has been a regular in the PPC Matopos 33-miler race winning the women’s category in 2013 and 2014 and slipping to second place in 2015 surrendering to Lizzie Chikore, who won it in 3:52:22.
Kativhu, however, reclaimed the honours last year, but failed to beat Chokore’s 2015 record-clocking 4:02:45.
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Air Force of Zimbabwe runner Peter Tumbare was tops last year in the men’s race crossing the finishing line in 3:12:10.
