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Ellina Mhlanga Senior Sports Reporter

AS registration continued today for the inaugural Mr Pace Challenge track and field meet, which will be held at the National Sports Stadium on Sunday, the organisers expressed confidence they are going to have a competitive competition with some of the leading athletes confirming their participation.

Events on offer include 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1 Mile, 3 000m, 5 000m, 4x400m relay, javelin, shot put, discus, high jump, long jump and triple jump.

The 1 Mile race is the main event with a prize money and by this morning some of the athletes that had registered included Rudo Mhonderwa, Picardo Tryfine, Olivia Chitate, Wellington Varevi, Jonathan Chinyoka, Nyasha Mutsetse and Moses Tarakinyu.

Mutsetse said he is aiming to improve his personal best time on Sunday and he is using the event as a platform to get ready for Zambia, where is targeting qualification for the Africa Senior Championships.

“I just want to try and run my personal best for the 1 mile challenge, then maybe also do the 4x400m relay.

“I am supposed to go to Zambia but I am not yet certain because of financial issues but we are already in camp. For Zambia I am going to run 800m only because I want to try and qualify for the Africa Senior Championships.

“But for Sunday I want to improve my personal best for 1 mile,” said Mutsetse.

It will be his second competition after competing at the Harare Athletic Board meet last month.

“I was struggling in my first competition because I was coming from an injury and had not been training for three months. But now I am okay, I am fit. I think I am close to the qualifying times,” said Mutsetse.

The Challenge is being held by Mr Pace Athletics Club and chairperson Collen Makaza says there is going to be some stiff competition.

“Since it is a selection event for the inter-provincial competition, it will be very competitive.

“I believe our main event, which is 1 mile, will be more competitive. We have some of the top athletes coming for that event,” said Makaza.

Some of the athletes will be taking advantage of this platform to build-up for the inter-provincial to be held in two weeks’ time.