OREGON, United States – Isaac Mpofu smashed the Zimbabwean national record in the men’s marathon after finishing 10th at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon, United States, on Sunday.
Mpofu’s time of 2 hours, 7 minutes and 57 seconds shaved nearly two minutes from the previous record held by Cuthbert Nyasango, who set a time of 2 hours 9 minutes and 52 seconds.
The first and second place runners in the marathon both hail from Ethiopia. Tamirat Tola ran a championships record of 2:05:36 and Mosinet Geremew had a second-place time of 2:06:44. Belgium’s Bashir Abdi ran a third-place time of 2:06:48.
Mpofu, 33, represented Zimbabwe in the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar, coming 52nd.
In May, Mpofu won the 42.2km Durban Marathon but was disqualified and forced to forfeit the R50,000 winning cheque for failing to display his licence number at the back of his shirt, although he had one in front.