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Ellina Mhlanga Sports Reporter

AFTER more than a year of inactivity and uncertainty, long-distance runner Lyno Muchena is excited to be back on course and qualifying for the International Association of Ultrarunners 50km World Championships has boosted his confidence.

The Mutare-based athlete was among several Zimbabweans who were in South Africa last weekend for the Nedbank 50km ultra marathon where he came 17th in 2 hours 50 minutes 59 seconds.

His last race was in February 2020, prior to travelling to South Africa last week.

Muchena is aware he does not have much time, with the world event set for October but is confident he can do better.

“I believe I can make the top 10. I can run a far better time than what I did. I am actually expecting to make the top 10, even the podium.

“I received the invitation to the Nedbank 50km one-and-half-months before the race but I was already training, just saying if something comes up I will go and when I got the invitation I began to focus on the race.

“I am happy that I qualified for the World 50km,” said Muchena.

For Muchena the build-up for the world race begins now.

“There is an event in Durban in August – an ultra-marathon and a 42km race, so between the two races I will run one of them. After that I polish up for the World 50km.

“What I need is to focus on the World 50km…I need to look for sponsors who can support me with my programme.

“I stay in Mutare and most of the athletes are in Harare and Bulawayo, so I need to find training partners because four months is not much in terms of preparing,” said Muchena.