As the countdown to the 2025 athletics season begins, Harare Athletic Board will this weekend stage their Track and Field Championships at the University of Zimbabwe.
It will cater to cadets, youths, juniors, and seniors with participants competing in 60m, 150m, 300m, 600m, 1 000m, 3 000m, relays, and all field events.
Harare Athletic Board (HAB) chairperson Cousinet Simunyu said the meet will serve as a platform to prepare their athletes for the forthcoming season.
“We are having this event as a season opener because our athletes had a break. They were off-season, so we are preparing them for the 2025 season. So, we are covering all track events and field events except for hurdles.
“We are hosting this pre-season opener track and field where we are reducing some distances, instead of 100m they are doing 60, instead of 200m they are doing 150m so that they don’t burnout,” said Simunyu.
Simunyu said the competition is also an opportunity for coaches to select athletes for next year’s national, regional, and international events.
The event is open to other provinces.
“So, most of the provinces are coming, Mashonaland West, Mashonaland East, even as far as Bulawayo, they all want to come and participate.
“We are inviting all schools, NAPH, NASH, clubs, senior clubs, and tertiary institutions as well.
“I have seen some of the athletes training, doing hill work, speed work in preparation for the upcoming season. So, it’s going to be fireworks on Sunday. They have just come back and they have been working hard.”
The upcoming season is scheduled to take off in January with a number of major competitions lined up for the year.
Some of the events include the World Relays in May, the World Championships in September, and the Southern Region Senior Championships in June.
For the youths and juniors, they have the Under-18/Under-20 African Championships expected to take place in June and the African Union Sports Council Region 5 Youth Games.
The HAB chairperson noted that as they prepare for the new season, they are looking forward to continuing with their dominance in local competitions.
“What I may say is 2025 is fully packed. As a province we know we have the best coaches, we also have the best athletes . . . So we are looking at continuing with our dominance over the other provinces.
“And to produce better-qualified coaches and best athletes ever with the best times and distances.
“So, we want Harare to continue dominating. So, this is what we are aiming for, we are working hard,” said Simunyu.