By Panashe Karidzagundi
BEITBRIDGE – Excitement filled the air early Sunday morning as more than 90 local athletes gathered at Croc Gardens for the much-anticipated Run Is Our Therapy (RIOT) marathon, a community-driven event aimed at promoting health, fitness, and unity.
The marathon, which began at 5:30am, attracted participants from across Beitbridge, with runners competing in various categories including 5km, 10km, 21km, and 41km distances.
Speaking at the event, marathon organiser Tatenda Shumba said the initiative is more than just a race, saying its social impact within the community.
“This is mainly a social event focusing on promoting health and sport in our community,” he said.
“We are also doing this in celebration of Independence, bringing people together through fitness,” said Shumba
The event drew support from several corporate and local partners, including 21 participants from ZimBorders, 5 from participants from Croc Foods, 11 participants from Beitbridge Town Council, 3 from VID and Ziyah Media, which provided free event coverage.
Shumba said the RIOT is a big athletics club committed in developing local talent and creating opportunities for runners to compete at higher levels.
“The RIOT is a big club, and we’ve recently facilitated opportunities for our runners to participate in major international races such as the Two Oceans Marathon (56km) and the Comrades Marathon (98km),” he said.
He said Beitbridge continues to produce strong long-distance runners, pointing to athletes like Emmanuel Mandeya and Langelihle Ndlovu who have competed in such prestigious events.
Shumba also said the initiative is not meant to compete with other organisers but to complement existing efforts in promoting sport locally.
“We are trying to promote events that happen locally. We are not competing but complementing others who have already been in the game,” he said.
With strong participation and growing support, the RIOT marathon is fast becoming a key fixture on Beitbridge’s sporting calendar, reinforcing the role of grassroots initiatives in nurturing talent and encouraging healthy lifestyles.
Some of e participants here have competed in numerous other marathons both local and international including the Econet Victoria Falls, Two Countries and the internationally acclaimed Comrades marathon.
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