{"id":1406,"date":"2025-11-24T08:15:31","date_gmt":"2025-11-24T08:15:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thewasupost.co.zw\/?p=1406"},"modified":"2025-11-24T08:15:31","modified_gmt":"2025-11-24T08:15:31","slug":"netone-albun-honde-valley-marathon-draws-over-1-800-runners-showcases-zimbabwes-tourism-strength","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thewasupost.co.zw\/index.php\/2025\/11\/24\/netone-albun-honde-valley-marathon-draws-over-1-800-runners-showcases-zimbabwes-tourism-strength\/","title":{"rendered":"NetOne Albun Honde Valley Marathon Draws Over 1 800 Runners, Showcases Zimbabwe\u2019s Tourism Strength"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Fanuel Chinowaita<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
NetOne Chief Executive Officer Engineer Raphael Mushanawani<\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

HONDE VALLEY<\/strong> \u2013 The NetOne Albun Honde Valley Marathon roared to life on Saturday, 22 November 2025, attracting more than 1 800 athletes in an exhilarating showcase of endurance, national pride and the growing power of sports tourism in Zimbabwe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NetOne Chief Executive Officer Engineer Raphael Mushanawani hailed the marathon as a monumental moment for Honde Valley, Manicaland Province and the nation at large. He described the race as \u201cnot just run, but lived, conquered and etched into the hearts of everyone who took part.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mushanawani praised the athletes for their grit as they battled steep climbs, winding slopes and the rugged terrain of the Eastern Highlands.
\u201cOur participants showed courage woven across the hills and valleys of Wonder Valley,\u201d he said. \u201cThe mountains tested strength, the valleys challenged rhythm, and the cool breezes renewed determination. The scenery reminded us all of Zimbabwe\u2019s unique beauty.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He attributed the success of the event to President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa\u2019s visionary leadership under the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1), noting that national development pillars\u2014health, tourism, productivity and community empowerment\u2014were visibly reflected through the marathon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs NetOne, we are proud to give back to the communities we serve. A healthy community is a productive community, and the unity and resilience we witnessed today speak to the nation we are building,\u201d added Mushanawani.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry Hon. Barbara Rwodzi<\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Guest of honour, Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry Hon. Barbara Rwodzi, applauded the record turnout and reaffirmed government\u2019s commitment to supporting the marathon annually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She highlighted the strong momentum within the tourism sector, fueled by global breakthroughs that have boosted Zimbabwe\u2019s visibility. These include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zimbabwe\u2019s International Recognition for Gastronomy Tourism under UN Tourism\u2014led by the First Lady, Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The viral 17-million-view Top Gear feature in which Jeremy Clarkson described Zimbabwe, particularly Honde Valley, as \u201cthe most beautiful country on earth,\u201d and<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zimbabwe\u2019s designation as Forbes\u2019 Number One Destination for 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese endorsements show why events like the Honde Valley Marathon are critical in sustaining global attention,\u201d Rwodzi said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She emphasized that the marathon aligns with President Mnangagwa\u2019s Vision 2030 and the Whole-of-Government Approach, positioning sports tourism as a driver of rural development, inclusive economic growth and community empowerment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The race also spotlighted Honde Valley\u2019s majestic landscapes while supporting ongoing development initiatives such as expanding accommodation facilities in Hauna and strengthening rural tourism, ensuring that local communities benefit from increasing tourist arrivals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The event drew high-level support, including the Minister of Manicaland Provincial Affairs and Devolution Hon. Advocate Misheck Mugadza, NetOne management and board members, Albun leadership, Chief Mutasa, senior government officials, athletes and invited guests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the sun set over the lush Honde Valley, the marathon stood as a powerful symbol of unity, resilience, and Zimbabwe\u2019s rising profile on the world tourism map.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Fanuel Chinowaita HONDE VALLEY \u2013 The NetOne Albun Honde Valley Marathon roared to life on Saturday, 22 November 2025, attracting more than 1 800 athletes in an exhilarating showcase of endurance, national pride and the growing power of sports tourism in Zimbabwe. NetOne Chief Executive Officer Engineer Raphael Mushanawani hailed the marathon as a…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1406","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-national-news"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewasupost.co.zw\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1406","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewasupost.co.zw\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewasupost.co.zw\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thewasupost.co.zw\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thewasupost.co.zw\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1406"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thewasupost.co.zw\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1406\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1409,"href":"https:\/\/thewasupost.co.zw\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1406\/revisions\/1409"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewasupost.co.zw\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1406"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thewasupost.co.zw\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1406"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thewasupost.co.zw\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1406"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}