Less than a week after clinching the 20km walk race bronze medal at the Africa Senior Athletics Championships in Douala, Cameroon, Margaret Gati is planning to ditch her speciality and venture into the 5,000m and 10,000m events.
With few or no planned race walking events in the country and across the world, Gati believes competing on track will keep her busy for the rest of the season.
“Race walking is funny because it comes once or twice a year unlike track and road running events,” said Gati. “My focus is to train and be ready to deliver once an opportunity crops up.”
The 20-year-old, who represented the country twice in the Under 20 category, said this is the beginning of a new chapter in her career as she heads towards the end of her ‘O’ Level education. She is a Form Four student at the Cheptonon High School in Nandi County.
“I am not new to track running since I used to compete in the 800m and 1,500m races back in primary school and early in high school,” she said. “I want to forget about race walking, until next year. Race walking does not have as many opportunities as the track. That’s why I want to venture into distance running especially now that I am about to finish my secondary education.”
She also eyes pacemaking at major events as well as try her luck in road running (5km and 10km).
Gati finished third in Douala after clocking 1:41:19 behind Ethiopian Sintayehu Masire (1:36:47) and Algerian Souad Azzi (1:40:36).
She says that it was her first time competing in the seniors and 20km after graduating recently, gaining experience and can face anybody across the world.