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Ellina Mhlanga Senior Sports Reporter

AS the qualification window deadline for marathon draws closer, local athletes chasing entry standards for the 2023 World Athletics Championships are in camp preparing for qualifying races.

The world meet is due to run from August 19 to 27 in Budapest, Hungary.

The qualification period for marathon is closing on May 30.

Six athletes — Tendai Zimuto, Wellington Varevi, Moses Tarakinyu, Isaac Mpofu, Fortunate Chidzivo and Tatenda Hove — are currently in camp.

Tarakinyu and Varevi are chasing qualification in 10 000m and the rest of the team is seeking qualifying time for marathon. For 10 000m, the deadline is July 30.

So far Mpofu has qualified for the World Athletics Championships. He has also secured his ticket for Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Head of national event coaches team for middle and long-distance runners, Benson Chauke, confirmed preparations for upcoming qualifying races are ongoing.

“Isaac is preparing for his marathon in April if all goes well and the other ones they are preparing for their World Championships qualifier as well as Olympics qualifier.

“Two of them are going to run ABSA 10km in PE (Port Elizabeth) around the second of April and then the other ones are going to run a fast one marathon to be held in Cape Town on May 21. So that’s our focus right now.

“So training has gone well since we started. It’s raining but we are doing well,” said Chauke.

The marathon runners are chasing a qualifying time of 2hours 9minutes 40seconds in the men’s section and 2hours 28minutes for women.

The qualifying time for 10 000m is 27minutes 10seconds for men and 30minutes 40seconds for women.

The training camp, which began early this month, is expected to run for three months as the national association seeks to improve the number of athletes qualifying for major competitions.

Mpofu is preparing for the Boston Marathon in April.

“Isaac is done for both qualifications. So the idea for Isaac is we look at his time, the time he posted, his personal best is very close to winning times of major competitions.

“So the focus is to try and help build for podium finish at bigger international races. Not necessarily at a World Championship or Olympics but at these other bigger races.

“So we are building to probably try and aspire to get to the podium finish. That’s what we are working towards with him.

“For the rest, we are preparing them for qualification for the World Championships and for Paris 2024,” Chauke said.

They had targeted Durban International Marathon, which usually takes place in May, for qualification. But the event has been brought forward to March 12.

Chauke said athletes will not be ready and they are now going for another marathon in Cape Town, South Africa, in May.

“We had put in place our plan working with the May date. So they changed the date, so we cannot go for the Durban Marathon for 2023 because it has been moved too close, our athletes will not be ready.

“So we are going for the fast one marathon that is held in Cape Town in May. By then we would have had enough time to prepare the athletes for such a race.

“I doubt that we are going to break (because) we have to tap for that competition together as a group.

“Those running 10 000m, there are competitions that are going to take place during the training camp and we will try and find some we believe they can post very fast times. There are local track events that will be held, 10 000m and 5 000m, they will compete as well.”

Olivia Chitate and Blessing Waison, who competed at the World Cross Country Championships over the weekend, are part of the targeted athletes that are pushing for qualification.