By Zim Sport Live Writer
Zimbabwean marathon runner Fortunate Chidzivo overcame a dramatic airport robbery ordeal to finish in the top 10 at the Cape Town Marathon after scrambling to secure an emergency passport just hours before travelling to South Africa.
Chidzivo revealed that her handbag, which contained her passport, was stolen on her way to the airport, throwing her race plans into chaos ahead of one of Africa’s biggest road races.
Despite the setback and disrupted preparations, the experienced Zimbabwean distance runner still managed to secure a top-10 finish on Sunday, which she described as a major personal victory.
“Finishing Top 10 at Cape Town Marathon after a horrible weekend, it’s a win for me,” Chidzivo wrote on social media.
The unexpected setback forced the Zimbabwean athlete into a frantic race against time as she sought emergency travel documentation.
Chidzivo spent much of Friday trying to secure a replacement passport in Harare, a process she said was made possible through swift intervention from local authorities and athletics officials.
She singled out the Makombe Passport Office staff for special praise after they processed her emergency passport in just a few hours.
“I got robbed on my way to the airport and my passport was gone with the stolen handbag. I spent the whole Friday running up and down trying to get a new passport,” she said.
“A job well done to Makombe passport officers. They made sure I got my passport within six hours after receiving a letter from NAAZ requesting an emergency passport.”
The runner also thanked the National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe and everyone who played a role in helping her reach Cape Town.
“Shout out to everyone who put hands on to make sure I arrived in Cape Town Saturday morning.”
Despite the challenging build-up and disrupted preparations, Chidzivo still managed to secure a respectable top-10 finish in 2:41:09.
It was an Ethiopian sweep of the top spots, with Dera Dida Yami winning the women’s race in 2:23:18, and Huseydin Mohamed Esa taking the men’s race in 2:04:55.
Zimbabwe’s top male marathon runner Isaac Mpofu also fared well in the men’s elite race as he placed a credible 12th in 2:10:27 at the Cape Town Marathon held on Sunday morning.
Women’s elite results
- Dera Dida Yami (ETH), 2:23:18
- Mestawut Fikir (ETH), 2:23:46
- Waganesh Amare (ETH), 2:23:57
- Leah Cheruto (KEN), 2:24:31
- Edna Kiplagat (KEN), 2:25:44
- Gojjam Enyew (ETH), 2:26:24
- Mercy Jerop Kwambai (KEN), 2:30:36
- Desi Jisa Mokonin (BHR), 2:30:44
- Cynthia Jerotich Limo (KEN), 2:32:00
- Fortunate Chidzivo (ZWE), 2:41:09