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Collin Matiza Sports Editor
GIVEMORE Mudzinganyama’s reputation continues to soar in South Africa after he won another road race in Johannesburg last Sunday morning.

The 27-year-old Zimbabwean middle and long-distance runner beat a strong field of nearly 8 000 professional and amateur runners to win the Hyundai Rock the Run 10km road race in 34 minutes 03 seconds, according to reports from Johannesburg.

Now in its third year running, the Hyundai Rock the Run, powered by Jacaranda FM, is already one of the top unique mass participation events in South Africa, bringing together a superb fusion of music and athletics to the city of Johannesburg.

Nearly 8 000 runners entered this year’s race comprising of amateur and professional runners and South Africa-based Zimbabwean Mudzinganyama carried his country’s flag high by romping home first ahead of local lads Michael Bailey (00:35:03) and Nkosibongiwe Maketa (00:36:16).

He walked away R10 000 richer for winning this race.

And Mudzinganyama, who is based in Johannesburg, could not hide his excitement after notching up another victory in a road running event in his adopted country of South Africa.

“Firstly, I would like to thank Asics my sponsors for the continued support, many thanks also go out to the race organisers and sponsors of the Hyundai Rock the Run 2016 for a wonderful event with such a great turnout.

“I am honoured to have come out to be part of such an experience and it was such an awesome feeling crossing that finish line (first) ahead of all the participants. I was feeling good and without underestimating any of the participants I picked up the pace as it wasn’t such a fast paced race but a great victory nevertheless.”

Mudzinganyama, who is under the management of Triumph Athletic Group which manages and looks after the welfare of mainly South Africa-based Zimbabwean athletes, said he is now hoping to compete in the European road running circuit in the not-too-distant-future.

This will see him following the footsteps of Zimbabwe’s road-running legends such as the late Stanley Mandebele, Tendai Chimusasa and Abel Chimukoko who made names for themselves while competing in the European road running circuit a few decades ago.

While Mandebele was a household name in the Scandinavian countries of Sweden and Norway in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Chimusasa flew the Zimbabwean flag with some distinction in the late 1990s and at the turn of the new millennium when he was based in Germany where he won numerous road races there under the sponsorship of Asics.

Chimusasa’s fellow Zimbabwean Olympian, Chimukoko, also made a name for himself on the international road-running stage when he was based in Spain in the late 1990s and at the turn of the new millennium.

Both Chimusasa and Chimukoko are still actively involved in athletics with the latter now running the Zimbabwe Republic Police’s School of Sport at Morris Depot in Harare.