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Sports Reporter

SOUTH Africa-based marathon runner Rutendo Nyahora says she is inspired by fellow-athlete Isaac Mpofu as she chases qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

The Games are scheduled for July 26 to August 11.

Nyahora will compete at the Vienna City Marathon on April 21 to try and get the qualification time, which is 2 hours 26 minutes 50 seconds for women.

“I know it sounds crazy when you hear that you qualify for the Olympics with 2:26 but it’s about the mindset, Kenyans are now running 2:15. So we just have to be mentally strong and support each other as a nation.

“The person who motivates me a lot is Isaac. He used to run 2:19 in the marathon, but now he can run 2.06 or 2:07. So it shows that if you work hard impossible is nothing.

“I normally chat with him, about how is he training, and he always tells me that as long as you focus, as long as you train hard anything is possible. That’s why I am telling myself that this year is going to be a different year for me. I have to focus on my training, focus on my diet, all those things that I was not doing.”

The qualifying time for men is 2 hours 8 minutes 10 seconds.