ZIMBABWE long distance runner Wirimai Juwawo qualified for next year’s Olympic Games to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, after meeting the qualifying time on his way to finishing third at the 2015 Beijing Marathon in China yesterday.
BY DANIEL NHAKANISO
Juwawo (34), who finished 15th in the marathon race at the 2012 London Olympics, put on his best perfomance of the season, as he finished the 42,195-kilometre course in 2 hours 14 minutes 25 seconds.
His time comfortably bettered the Rio Olympic Games qualifying standard time of two hours 17 minutes approved by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) at the world governing body’s council meeting in April.
Kenyan veteran Mariko Kipchumba (41) clocked 2 hours 11 minutes to win the 2015 Beijing Marathon yesterday, becoming the first non-Ethiopian athlete to win the event since 2011.
Berhanu Tolcha from Ethiopia came in second place in 2:11:37.
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In the women’s competition, Ethiopian runner Betelhem Cherenet bagged the title in 2:27:31.
Favourite Abebech Bekele from Ethiopia and Sin Yong Sun from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea won the second and third place respectively.
The 2015 Beijing Marathon, which entered its 35th edition this year, attracted some 30 000 runners.
It took nearly half an hour for all of them to cross the start line.
The Beijing Marathon, which was first held in 1981, is a Gold Label Road Race certified by IAAF and recorded by the Association of International Marathons and Road Races (AIMS).
Meanwhile, Shabanie Mine athlete Elijah Mabhunu and Rutendo Nyahora won the men and women’s titles respectively at the fourth edition of the lucrative Old Mutual Westgate Half Marathon, which saw a very high turnout yesterday.
Mabhunu, who finished second in the same race last year, finally came right as he completed the 21km race in a quick time of 1 hour 3 minutes 25 seconds.
Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services athlete Kelvin Phangiso came second in 1:04:15, while Michael Mabhena settled for third position in 1:04:20.
In the women’s race, Nyahora, who has been in top form on the South African circuit, successfully defended her title after coming first in 1:15:06 ahead of Faith Nyasango (1:15:06), while Patience Murove finished third in a time of 1:20:31.
Winners in both the men’s and women’s 21km race walked away with $3 000, while the second and third place finishers got $2 000 and $1 000 respectively.