Lovemore Dube, CHIEF WRITER
Zimbabwean marathon runner, Isaac Mpofu, set a new national record in the men’s marathon after finishing 10th at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon, United States, on Sunday.
Mpofu broke the national record in the men’s marathon after posting a time of 2 hours, 7 minutes and 57 seconds in 42.195km.
His time was almost two minutes better than the previous record held by Cuthbert Nyasango, who set a time of 2 hours 9 minutes and 52 seconds.
The runners who came in first and second place at the World Athletics Championships were both from Ethiopia. Tamirat Tola ran a championship record of 2:05:36 and Mosinet Geremew had a second-place time of 2:06:44. Belgium’s Bashir Abdi ran for third place with a time of 2:06:48.
In May this year, Isaac Mpofu represented Zimbabwe in the 42.2km Durban Marathon and won. However, he was disqualified and forced to forfeit the R50,000 winning check for not showing his license number on the back of his shirt, even though he had one on the front.
His qualification for the World Athletics Championships was surrounded by uncertainty after his disqualification.
The National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe has successfully appealed to Athletics South Africa (ASA), which disqualified Isaac Mpofu, so that they can return his time so he can go to the World Championships.
Mpofu also represented Zimbabwe at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar, on the 52nd.
Isaac Mpofu’s recent exploits at the World Athletics Championships were praised by Zimbabweans on Twitter.
journalist Steve Vickers tweeted:
Brilliant! Isaac Mpofu of Zimbabwe finished 10th in the Men’s Marathon at the World Athletics Championships in the USA in 2 hours 7 min 57 seconds.
Financial institution CBZ Holdings tweeted:
We congratulate Isaac Mpofu on finishing 10th in the Men’s Marathon at the World Athletics Championships (USA). Thank you for making Zimbabwe proud!
Secretary of the Ministry of Information Nick Tomorrow tweeted:
And Issac Mpofu made it into the top 10 of the Men’s Marathon in the World
Athletics Championship at
the USA. Congratulations 🎊
