Ultra marathoner Jesse Njoroge is seeking to obliterate the Soweto Marathon course record of 2:16:28 when he hits the streets of South Africa on November 3.
Shadrack Kemboi holds the current course record, which he set in 2012. Njorog reckons that he has what it takes to shatter that record.
“This will be my second time running at the Soweto Marathon. It’s a tough course, but I believe victory is within reach this year. My goal is to smash course record,” Njoroge remarked
In last year’s race, Njoroge crossed the finish line in 28th place with a time of 2:33:09. Local champion Mphakathi Ntsindiso (2:19:13) led the podium, followed closely by Ethiopia’s Daba Debele (2:19:52) and Zimbabwe’s Tonny Skink (2:20:15).
Reflecting on last year’s race, Njoroge noted the challenges of adapting to the conditions and course deterred him from posting a good performance.
“It was my first time running the Soweto course. I hadn't fully acclimatised to the weather and the course as well. But this time, I’m ready.”
Njoroge will draw motivation from his bronze medal performance at the World Masters Athletics Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden.
“The bronze at the World Masters is a huge source of inspiration. It’s a reminder that I have what it takes to achieve great results in Soweto,” he said confidently.
In Sweden, Njoroge clocked 14:50.53 to settle for bronze in the 5,000m M40 category, trailing Mexico’s Juan Luis (14:29.44) and Spain’s Pedro Javier (14:43.76).
Despite his success in Sweden, Njoroge faced a setback after suffering a muscle tear in the 10km road race while leading before eventually finishing 76th in 35:25.
“I suffered a muscle tear at the masters during the 10km road race after the 5,000m. It cost me a gold medal because I was ahead of the pack. I had to walk slowly to the finish line.”
“I’ve been managing the injury since returning home, and I’m steadily regaining full fitness,” he explained.
Njoroge is on a slow road to recovery with his daily training regimen including 35-45km runs in Ngong
“I started doing long runs last weekend and hopefully this week I can start with speed work because I have just one month of preparation left,” he added.
Njoroge stands a chance to pocket Sh1.8 million for clinching victory in Soweto.
Looking ahead, the 41-year-old is targeting the 54th edition of the Two Oceans Ultra Marathon (56km) on April 5 next year.
