SKILLS training organisation Young Africa has partnered with Mr Pace Athletics Academy to host a marathon event as it celebrates 25 years of existence next month.
The unique marathon event, which will be competed over a 25km distance is slated for October 7 at the Young Africa Zimbabwe head office in Chitungwiza.
Over 500 participants are expected to take part in the event, which will also see competition in a novel 12.5km half marathon while there is provision for a 5km fun and nappy dash for children below the age of five.
Young Africa country director Suzan Madondo confirmed the development at a press conference held in Chitungwiza on Friday.
“This year marks 25 years since Young Africa was founded and we are very happy to say we would want to celebrate this magnificent milestone by hosting a marathon, which is unusual for us. We are going to have a 25km marathon just to celebrate 25 years and say thank you to Chitungiwa, thank you to Zimbabwe for offering young Africa an opportunity and a platform to make the stars in our young people shine,” she said.
“I would like to say the majority of Young Africa graduates always report being economically sound barely six months after graduation. So we would like to say with this celebration thank you to the people of Zimbabwe especially Chitungwiza, where we started our programming, by affording them this opportunity to join us in the 25km marathon which is going to take place in Chitungwiza.
“We wanted to make sure that we hold it here in the ghetto. We want to say skills do make a difference. We would like the generality of Chitungwiza and the greater Harare community to come and participate in this marathon, which is going to take place on the 7th of October. I would like to call upon other private sector players and non-governmental organisations to come and partner with Young Africa just like other corporates have already come to partner in this worthy cause,” Madondo added.
Madondo was accompanied by the organisation’s finance director Tawanda Tinofa.
- Over 115 to exhibit at Mine Entra
- Young entrepreneur dreams big
- Econet bemoans power outages
- Govt opens ChiTown e-passport centre
Keep Reading
Some of the organisations that have come on board for the marathon event include Patsime Pure Water and Generation Health medical aid fund who were represented by operations manager Charlene Moyo and Digital marketing executive Leeroy Kasese respectively.
Patsime will provide water for this initiative while Generational Health have committed to raise awareness on health issues as well as offering health related services on the day of the event.
Mr Pace co-founder Collen Makaza and club chairperson Martha Mashamhanda were also part of the press conference.
“It is such an honour to partner with Young Africa to organise this unique marathon. We are used to the 42km marathon and 21km half marathon but for this special event we have a 25km marathon, 12,5km half marathon and 5km fun run, Mashamhanda said.
“We have also included the nappy dash you have heard them say they have a day care so we are going to take care of those day care kids from zero to four years by organising a 50m run.”
Established in 2008, Young Africa Zimbabwe offers a space for vocational training and academic coaching at their two centres in Chitungwiza and Epworth while they carry out mobile outreach programmes across the country.
