NetOne Bankrolls Great Zim Marathon Winners Who Walked Away With Prizes

Zimbabwe’s Telcos State owned giant NetOne has bankrolled this year’s Great Zimbabwe Marathon which was held in Masvingo.NetOne through its One health brand has been promoting healthy living. Plans are underway for NetOne to continuously support this initiative in Masvingo Province.

The annual Great Zimbabwe Marathon (GZM) took place on Saturday October 22, 2022 and nine winners smiled all the way to the Bank with prizes ranging between US$150 and US$300.

Speaking to TechnoMag, a NetOne official said they were proud to be associated with this annual Great Zimbabwe Marathon.

The event promotes sports tourism in the Southern region and last year’s 42km run was won by Fatima Hassen and Allan Magwere.

The GZM also serves as a qualifier for athletes who want to compete in the famed Comrades and Two Oceans Marathons held in June and on Easter in South Africa respectively.

Only Usd$15 Registration Fee was charged and and most runners registered online or in person at Great Zimbabwe University Campus Radio and Hevoi FM premises.

This year’s event ran under the marathon’s theme “Awakening Masvingo Giants.”

Prizes came courtesy of Netone and there were also several other companies that supported the event including Nyaradzo Group, Glenlivet Resort, Lake October Festival, Great Zimbabwe Hotel, Paragon Printing and Packaging, Dandemutande, Run It Out, Amtec Motors, Masvingo Athletics Board, Askeland Media and Caravan Park Masvingo.

Also, Bulls Gas gave US$60 and a gas tank with cooker and US$40 to two athletes from Masvingo who were first to complete the 42 and 25km races respectively.

All participants who finished the race received a finisher’s medal and a race pack.

The NetOne sponsored event also had wheelchair racing were the winner got US$80. Two children who finished the 10km race walked away with an Astro Mercury 17 tablet and a ZTE171 respectively.

GZM was inaugurally held in 2021 and it is in three categories; the 10km, 25km and the 42km race.

The three races start at Wimpy some 4km from Masvingo CBD along Beitbridge – Masvingo Highway and the 42km race ends at the turn-off to Great Zimbabwe Monuments after taking the runners to Lake Mtirikwi first.

The 25km finishing line is also at the same point while the finishing line for the 10km was different.