The Sunday Mail
Langton Nyakwenda
AS a fresh faced rural boy who had just arrived in the capital city of Harare to seek prosperity, he had no option but to put at his aunt’s house in Mbare where he slept on the floor.
That was back in 2015 and nobody cared to know about Prosper Mutwira, a certain boy who had just arrived in the capital from the rural area of Murehwa.
But now, the name Mutwira, is circulating in African marathon circles.
It’s a name that is being mentioned even in the Nigerian and South African press.
The 23-year-old Mutwira, a long distance runner with a Harare-based academy, Real Stars Athletic Club, is basking in glory.
He clinched a silver medal at the inaugural International Association of Ultra-runners (IAU) African Championships held in Nigeria’s state of Ogun last Saturday.
Mutwira pocketed US$1 500 after coming second to South Africa’s Thobile Mbolekwa in the 50 km Ultra-Race Championships.
The Zimbabwean completed the race with a time of 3:05:25 and subsequently qualified for the 2020 World Ultra Runners Championships.
“I want to inspire rural athletes. I want them to know the value of this sport. When I was still in Murehwa, I didn’t know I was this good in long distance running.
“But here I am, representing Zimbabwe at one of the toughest races in Africa,” Mutwira said.
The association of ultra-runners operates under the patronage of the International Association of Athletics Federations with a purpose to develop ultra-distance running.
Mutwira was chosen by the National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe, based on his performances in 2019, to represent the country at the IAU Championships.
He came fourth at the 2019 Lafarge Lusaka 42km race where he set a personal best time of 2 hours 22 minutes, running with a torn sneaker.
Mutwira ended up begging a Kenyan runner to sell him a pair for about US$40.
The long distance runner also came second and third at the Old Mutual and CBZ races in Harare.
Mutwira also ran at the Mandela Day Marathon in Durban and came ninth.
His coach Andrew Kwirirai, a holder of a sports degree and a three-time silver medallist in the Comrades Marathon, sees a lot of potential in Mutwira.
But, he fears, lack of sponsorship might dampen an otherwise bright prospect.
“During my four-year course, I developed an interest in athletics. I managed Stephen Muzhingi in 2017 just before I discovered Mutwira. “I realised he had the talent after I watched him over a 21km distance. I was initially interested in a certain Tumbare who had come from Buhera, but I ended up falling in love with Mutwira,” said Kwirirai.
“At Real Stars Athletics Club our motive is to pluck talent amongst the less privileged and promote it to the top.
“This is what we want to do with Mutwira, he is one of the brightest prospects and we want to take him up there with the world’s best. “However, we are also facing financial challenges, imagine sometimes we have an athlete running with torn sneakers.”
From a rural boy who walked almost 20 km to and from Matututu Secondary School in Murehwa’s Nheweyembwa area, Mutwira is now being touted as a potential candidate to represent Zimbabwe at the next Olympic Games.
“I am humbled,” Mutwira says.
“I came from Murehwa in 2015, driven by the need to look for any job. I stayed in Mbare with my aunt where I used to sleep on the floor. With God’s grace I met my coach, we started very well and I am glad we have reached this stage.
“I thought it would all end at school where I was a prolific runner in the 12 rounds category.
“I didn’t know there was professional athletics until I saw some grown up men running on television, that is when I realised there were people making a living out of it.
“So, I am thankful to my coach for giving me this opportunity. The target now is the 2020 Olympics.”
But, he would have to chalk off 11 minutes from his personal best, for him to qualify for the quadrennial event which will be staged in Tokyo, Japan.
“The sky is the limit, I will push,” says Mutwira. For someone who can run 10km in 32 minutes, it would take Mutwira about two and half hours to run back home to Nheweyembwa in Murehwa, if the need arises!
