By Thathe Msimango
South African marathon runner Desmond Mokgobu has made one of the most shocking decisions of his career in preparation for the new athletics season.
In an exclusive interview with Scrolla.Africa he said he is now switching to middle distances, particularly 10 km and 21 km.
This comes as a surprise after the 34-year-old Limpopo runner was included in the Athletics South Africa (ASA) squad for the World Athletics Championship to be held in Budapest, Hungary.
“I’m going to focus more on short distances this year. It’s a decision that I have thought about for a long time,” said Mokgobu, who is coached by former New York Marathon winner Hendrick Ramaala.
“If you see how long athletes take to recover after running a marathon then you understand that it isn’t easy. It takes a lot of effort and I’m in no shape to take that route for now,” he said.
Mokgobu, who has a blistering 2:09:13 over the marathon distance, recently cut ties with Intsika Athletics Club after four years. He signed a sponsorship deal with Japanese sports clothes company ASICS.
“My partnership with Intsika was great but it was time for me to start a new chapter in my life,” said Mokgobu, who represented the country in the 2019 World Athletics Championship in Doha.
“I’m hoping to find a new club that is not going to expect too much from me. I expect to lie low and focus more on getting the results on the road. I’m happy to partner with ASICS which will assist me to fulfil my running goals.”
Pictured above: Marathoner Desmond Mokgobu
Image source: Supplied
