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Lesotho’s national 10km record holder, Neheng Khatala, has confirmed to SABC Sport that she will take part in the 42.2km marathon at the upcoming World Senior Championships in Tokyo from 13-21 September — despite not having followed a proper marathon training program.
The 33-year-old admits it’s a gamble, but she could not turn down the opportunity to represent her country on the world stage.
Instead of long-distance preparations, Khatala is relying on her strong showings in shorter races such as the Absa Run Your City series, Spar Women’s Challenge, University Sport South Africa (USSA) championships, Totalsports Women’s Race, and the Hollywoodbets Durban 10km to carry her through in Japan.
The Hollywood Athletics Club runner says her goal is to replicate her performance at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where she finished in the top 20 in the marathon.
The North West University Sports Science student revealed that she has only completed one marathon this year and admits it wasn’t her fastest.
The 2024 Hollywoodbets Durban 10km champion says the support she receives from the people of the Mountain Kingdom motivates her to give her best.
Now based in Potchefstroom, where she is completing her fourth year in Sports Science, Khatala says she feels embraced by the South African community and credits that love and support for her success.
