The Sunday Mail
Don Makanyanga
Like the all-terrain Nissan Navara he is nicknamed after, Carnious Nyamutsita has conquered the mountainous landscape of Vumba to write his own piece of history.
For three consecutive years the 27-year-old long-distance runner has broken the tape first in the Vumba 21km run.
“My fellow athletes and fans refer me to as a Navara, probably because of how I run well in mountainous areas, and they happen to be my favourite tracks,” he said. “Since I took up athletics professionally in 2014 I have been winning in almost all the local races that I have participated in and my fame has risen over the years,” said Nyamutsita Navara participated in the Copenhagen Marathon before defending the Vumba Half-Marathon since he started participating in the 21km race in 2015.
He has also won the Nkulumane, Tanganda and JM Busha races; as well as the Police Commissioner-General and Westgate marathons, to name but a few.
“Since I started running at the age of 18 this has been my best year, and I think it’s an art which I have perfected over the years. It’s all about experience and endurance for me,” he said.
A little on the history of this upcoming runner. All it took was a date with veteran runner Collen Makaza Nyamutsita, for Nyamustista to abandon soccer and focus on athletics.
“I met coach Makaza at one of the races, and a small chat with him was enough for me to focus on athletics and thus I abandoned soccer to concentrate on athletics fulltime; a decision I do not regret,” he said.
It was at this time that he started to train with the best long-distance runners in Zimbabwe.
“After meeting with coach Makaza, he enrolled me at his club were I met the likes of Bertha Chikanga, Celorine Mandu, Anna Bungu and Winfred Mutiro. They took me under their wings and helped become the runner I am today.” Like Jamaican sprint king Usain Bolt, Nyamutsita is looking forward to lacing up soccer boots when he quits the track. “I used to play as left-winger and just like Bolt and all things being equally I would like to play for my favourite team before I call it quits from being an active sportsperson,” said Nyamutsita.
“It is not easy to be an athlete in Zimbabwe, we face a lot of challenges especially for us who rely on athletics as a source of livelihood.
“Often times the thought of quitting and focus on a day job crosses the mind but at the end of the day, passion and dreams of brighter days keeps me focused on the track.” The father of two has his sights on the Olympic Games.
“Next I year I will be running in the 42km race and hope to use it as a springboard to my ultimate goal, which is to represent the country at the 2020 Olympics,” he said.
