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Ellina Mhlanga Senior Sports Reporter

AS the Cape Town Marathon draws closer, Wellington Varevi is satisfied with the progress he has made so far preparing for the event.

The marathon is scheduled for October 16.

However, there is also the 10km and 5km races as well as the 46km trail and 22km trail set for October 15.

Varevi will compete in the 10km race, chasing the qualifying time for the 10 000m event for the 2023 World Athletics Championships.

He is one of the several athletes currently in camp for next month’s event.

“It’s something we have always wished for, to get more time to prepare and I am looking forward to qualifying because it’s really helping me in terms of preparations.

“If we qualify early it’s an advantage, we get enough time to prepare for the main event with less pressure.”

The qualifying time for men’s 10 000m is 27 minutes 10 seconds.

His personal best is 28 minutes 22 seconds and he ran 28 minutes 57 seconds at the Durban International Marathon in May.

“Looking at my time, there were things that we had not worked on and we have corrected that this time around. Also, last time I had an injury and was out for two weeks but so far I have not had any challenges. So if nothing comes up, I think I can do well.

“After seeing what Isaac Mpofu did (qualifying for World Championships), it was a confidence booster to say it’s possible to qualify,” said Varevi.