However , shortly after finishing the race in Durban , he was disqualified by the KwaZulu-Natal Athletics ( KZNA ) technical officials ( TOs ) for not wearing a temporary license number on the back of his running outfit , and thus lost not only the R50,000 prizemoney , but also the performance , and with that his chance to represent Zimbabwe in the World Championships .

No matter how the transgression is viewed , the fact is that the athlete was viewed and tracked by television running at least 42.195km in a time officially recorded as 2:10:24 . The performance was genuine , and thankfully , he was eventually reinstated , thus making him eligible for the world Champs , although news articles about the issue reported that the reinstatement only came after a progression of

Isaac often races in South Africa as well , in the colours of Nedbank Running Club Zimbabwe

appeals had been turned down through the Athletics South Africa ( ASA ) structures , and Mpofu would not be paid out the prize money for winning the race .

In the USA , Mpofu duly went on to represent his country , and finished a very commendable 10th in the men ’ s marathon , clocking a massive PB of 2:07:56 for a new Zimbabwean Record ! So , it seemed that all ended well in the long run , but the saga of his reinstatement took some time , and it was a hotly debated topic at various levels . As a result , it placed much focus on the old saying that “ rules are rules ,” but perhaps this requires to be moderated with “ let the punishment fit the crime .”

Performance is King

Let ’ s take a step back and look at the process of appeals that followed Mpofu ’ s disqualification . The verbal protest on the day was rejected by the referees . The written appeal to the race jury was also rejected , and a further appeal by the Zimbabwean Athletics federation to ASA made no difference , either . The case then went to WA , and Mpofu gained back recognition of his performance , but to date neither the race organisers nor TOs have relented on the R50,000 prize money . So , now we have a situation where the

Zimbabwean Isaac Mpofu breaks the tape in the Durban International Marathon

winning time doesn ’ t earn the prize money . That said , at the time of writing , the doping results may not have been released yet , and prize monies not paid out yet , so the opportunity to do the right thing still exists .

Looking at it from a different perspective , this has the potential for a good case study of technical officiating , in that it highlights the blend of reasons for having rules . It is not the first such case : Comrades runners will remember Zola Pieterse being disqualified from an age best win in the 2014 Comrades because she did not have age category tags on her club vest , even though the age group was correctly printed on her race number . ( Age tags ensure that runners can see who they are competing against , while also making it easy for the TOs to see the winners as they cross the line , but this is almost unique to SA , other than at formal Master Athletics events .)

Apart from both these cases being under KZNA officiating , the commonality is that these are administrative rules that have negated the performance , even though the performance was never in doubt . Case studies are not witch hunts , but rather opportunities for everyone to grow and understand the complexities , in the hope of a better future .

Images : Courtesy SABC Sport , Nedbank Running Club Zimbabwe , Isaac Mpofu