Stephen Muzhingi
Stephen Muzhingi (born 17 October 1980) is a Zimbabwean ultramarathon runner He broke the record amongst long distance runners by winning the Comrades Marathon race three consecutive times (2009 to 2011). he also won the Two Oceans Marathon.
Stephen Muzhingi Background
Muzhingi was born on 17 October 1980 although his birth certificate shows that he was born on 17 October 1975. He argued that, when he went with his late mother, Siyai to get a birth certificate in 1993, the officials who attended to them made a mistake. His father died when he was in Grade Two and his mother, Siyai died in 2010. Muzhingi is married to Erina Magwaza and the couple has a son, Methane.
Stephen Muzhingi Career
He began his career as a long distance runner in 2008 when he participated in the Comrades Marathon Race (the world’s largest and greatest ultra-marathon race) which is held in South Africa. In 2008, he came third in the competition and he was signed by Bluff Meats club in South Africa which began to train him.
Stephen Muzhingi
Under the tutelage of Cliff Chinasammy, who was his manager, Muzhingi won the Comrades Marathon race three consecutive times (2009-2011) becoming the first person to do so in the history of the marathon. For this, Muzhingi was nicknamed, ‘King of the Comrades’. In 2012, he also became the second person to hold both the Two Oceans Ultra Marathon and the Comrades Marathon titles simultaneously. The first man to do so before Muzhingi was Derek Presis in 1974.
From 2012 to the present, Muzhinji has been performing dismally in the Comrades Marathon Competition. In 2012, Muzhinji’s manager claimed that Muzhinji failed to retain his Comrades Marathon gold medal because of a domestic dispute. Muzhinji and his wife quarrelled on how the money from Muzhinji’s triumph at the 2012 edition of the competition was to be disbursed. Muzhinji cited that his former club, Bluff Meats had however sabotaged him.
In 2013, Muzhinji finished the race in 10th position. Despite failing to win the title for the fourth time, he was satisfied with his performance. He also argued that he was still recovering from a calf injury. His manager Craig Fry also substantiated Muzhingi’s story arguing that he was still in pain when he participated in the competition. After failing to win the Comrades Marathon, he began to prepare for the Nelson Mandela Day Marathon which was held on 25 August. He also failed to make it. In 2014, Muzhingi came forth in the competition.