Bab to stage Four-Minute Miler

THE Bulawayo Athletics Board (Bab) will stage the annual ZITF Coca-Cola Four-Minute Mile Challenge qualifiers at White City Stadium today.

The Coca-Cola Four-Minute Mile is an annual male competition with a pre-requisite time of four minutes 31 seconds for one to qualify for the final that will be held at the ZITF main arena on April 28. Thirty athletes have already qualified for the semi-finals.

Bab chairperson Manuel Mpofu confirmed that all was in place for today’s qualifiers.

“This has become a traditional event that we hold on Independence Day. The event is part of the festivities in store for those who will come to celebrate this great day in our country at White City Stadium. Anyone is free to participate in the qualifiers that will be held at halftime of the match between Highlanders and Bulawayo City,” said Mpofu.

“So far athletes including Dumo Mkhwananzi, Xolani Nkiwane, Denford Mlilo and last year’s champion Trust Chidomaya have qualified for the semi-finals. The last of the qualifiers will be held at Pelandaba Stadium in Gwanda this Saturday.

“We are taking the Four-Minute Mile Challenge qualifiers to Gwanda. We are doing this because we want to get more athletes from many areas to take part in this competition and we are looking forward to surpassing last year’s number of athletes that took part in the final.

“We expect over 40 athletes to take part in the semifinals that will be at White City Stadium on April 27 before the final the next day at the ZITF main arena,” Mpofu said.