Mpofu to take part in Boston Marathon
ZIMBABWE’S top long-distance runner Isaac Mpofu says he is looking forward to competing in the Boston Marathon in April as part of his build-up to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The Boston Marathon is scheduled for April 15 and the Olympic Games are due to take place from July 26 to August 11.
Mpofu is in camp in Harare working towards his participation at the Olympics.
“I have several other races before the Olympics. There is the Kazungula Marathon that is in Botswana, then the Boston Marathon. I just want to go and take that challenge again.
“I don’t have much (to expect) because Boston is much of a harder course. There are too many hills but that is the challenge I want, which will inspire me for the Olympics because in the Olympics we are going to run at a flat course.
“So I can say it’s part of my training, also mind-wise it will be just good for me. After Boston, no more competition, it will be time to recover, then I do my full training polishing up for the Olympics.”
Mpofu competed in the Boston Marathon, which is ranked among the world’s best marathons, for the first time last year. He made the top 20, crossing the finish line on position 19 in 2 hours 14 minutes 8 seconds.
The 35-year-old is training under the watchful eye of seasoned coach Benson Chauke for his build-up to the Olympics.
Chauke said they are working on laying the foundation since they are still in the early stages of the camp.
“It’s an honour to be selected among some of Zimbabwe’s best coaches to work with Isaac in preparation for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“Our preparation for now we are just beginning the camp. We are just laying the base, the mileage in him so that the body is used to the mileage, the body is used to the endurance, to build endurance, to build power, to build strength, to build flexibility, and a bit of speed endurance.
“So from here, our first assessment race, which we have lined up is Kazungula, which is a 42km (race). We are targeting a time of 2 hours and 20 minutes for that marathon. It’s not like Isaac is going all out to break the world record.
“He is going out to be able to maintain specific splits, to be able to run 2:20. That is the assessment we want to make in a competition kind of environment with a little incentive probably of winning something at the end. So that is our first assessment.”
They are also looking at the African Games if he makes the travelling team for the continental event to take place in March.
“The next assessment would be, if he is chosen to be part of the African Games, he will go again where there is competition for him to have that feel of international competition, the pressure, to get used to that and he will run a 21km (race).
“And then from there he will come back, and we will work to polish up for the Boston Marathon, which is in April.
“The target then is we are going all out with the world’s top guns and we see how far we would fare against the world’s top guns. Come back, look at our performance, make corrections, and add a few things probably which we might not have done well and start the last onslaught for Paris,” Chauke said.
Mpofu is the only athlete from athletics that has so far qualified for the Olympic Games.