Zimpapers Logo

Collin Matiza Sports Editor
THERE is an old saying that goes “No Guts, No Glory”.
It is a cliche but it helped promising young Zimbabwean female long-distance runner Anna Bungu in her “voyage to immortality.”

She impressed at the Old Mutual Soweto Marathon just outside Johannesburg, South Africa, on Sunday morning.
The 23-year-old Bungu was thrown into the deep end by her coach Collen Makaza who asked her to be part of thousands of runners that swarmed the FNB Stadium.

They were taking part in the 10km, 21,1km half-marathon and the main 42,2km marathon.
And, coming up against the likes of the event’s three-time winner Irvette Van Zyl of South Africa, Kenya’s Jenniffer Koech and two of Ethiopia’s top female long-distance runners Selam Abere Alebachew and Gadise Getachew Bekele in the women’s 42,2km race, Bungu knew she had a tough task.

But, at the end, she was smiling after she came home in seventh place in a surprising good time of 2 hours 57 minutes 47 seconds.

She was one place behind seasoned runner, and fellow Zimbabwean female athlete, Rutendo Nyahora. That’s a phenomenal achievement for a rookie long-distance runner.

Speaking to The Herald yesterday as she made her way back home to Zimbabwe, Bungu, who was born in Murehwa, revealed she was “scared” to run in her first full marathon.

“It was very tough for me and I was just aiming to finish my first marathon and that was all but by the time I realised that I was in the top 10, that’s the time I told myself that I can do it,’’ she said.

“I was scared at first to run a marathon. It was my dream to do a marathon but not this early. I was motivated by my coach Collen Makaza. He is the one who told me to try a marathon and I was like ‘no man, I can’t do it’ because I knew that I’m not that strong to run a marathon.

“But, at the end of the race, I was feeling happy that I did it. At the same time, I found myself crying at the finish line and I don’t remember why I was crying.

“Maybe, they were tears of joy. I don’t know what they call it.’’
Bungu, who lives in Chitungwiza’s Unit M, said she started running in 2013 when she was still at school.
“My first time to represent the country was in the COSSASA Games in Harare but that was in track events. Then I adjusted from there to road races but that time I was just running (for fun) not even thinking about my future.

“My father is the one who kept telling me to take this sport seriously until someone introduced me to my current coach Collen Makaza and that’s the time I started performing well because I’m getting enough training programmes from him.”

By finishing in the top 10 in the women’s race at this year’s Soweto Marathon, Bungu got some prize money “but I’m not sure about the prizes for now”.

“But I’m sure in the next future events, I’m going to be a champion of a marathon event and winning a marathon is my biggest dream for now but going for the World Championships will be my greatest achievement,” she said.