Rwanda’s leading middle and long distance runners Felicien Muhitira, Noel Hitimana and Salome Nyirarukundo will make their debut at the inaugural edition of Commonwealth Half Marathon championship due on October 7 in Cardiff city in the United Kingdom. The inaugural championship will be incorporated within the existing IAAF silver label Cardiff Half Marathon and it is reported that twenty-six of the Commonwealth Nations have expressed interest in sending teams to Cardiff, making it a highly anticipated and hard-fought competition. Each invited nation has been allocated up to eight sports – four male and four female – in the one-day race but Rwanda intends to send only three athletes, two for men and one for women, according to Rwanda Athletics Federation President, Fidele Mubiligi. “We have also been invited to compete at the inaugural edition of this championship as Commonwealth members and we will be sending only three athletes. All of them have already started preparations,” said Mubuligi. According to Mubiligi, the three athletes were selected based on their recent performances in various competitions. Both Hitimana and Nyirarukundo won the 2018 Kigali International Peace Half Marathon that staged in May in the men and women categories, respectively. Muhitira in July won the French race Marvejols-Mende half marathon for a second consecutive time. A month later, he – along with Hitimana – dominated this year’s 15th edition of Semi-Marathon International de Brazzaville in the Republic of Congo as they scooped gold and silver medals, respectively. editorial@newtimes.co.rw
