By
South African middle-distance star Tshepo Tshite is in superb form on the European indoor circuit after breaking his own South African 3000m record at the World Athletics Indoor Tour meeting in Liévin this weekend.
Tshite clocked 7:36.90 to finish fifth, shaving more than a second off the 7:38.17 he set in Ostrava just two weeks earlier.
It was also the third time this month that he dipped under the 7:40 barrier.
This week, Tshite and his coach Samuel Sepeng turn their focus to the Gqeberha ABSA Run Your City10km, which will be his first official race over the distance.
The move forms part of a long-term plan to gradually transition to the marathon in the coming years.
Later this season, he is also set to test himself over 5000m at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow from 23 July to 2 August, embracing what his coach describes as an experimental year.
“I am not surprised by Tshepo’s performance; he has been working very hard,” said Sepeng, the younger brother of Olympic 800m silver medallist Hezekiél Sepeng.
“Next week we are going for the 10km, and the plan is to run a fast time. This year we are trying different things as there isn’t too much pressure without a packed global championship calendar.”
Sepeng added that Tshite is relishing the prospect of competing at the Run Your City race, where he is likely to face strong opposition, including Adriaan Wildschutt, who is targeting a sub-27-minute performance in the Friendly City.
“It was important to take our athletes to indoor competitions to sharpen them ahead of the outdoor season,” Sepeng explained. “We want to see what he can produce over 10km and 5000m in the next few weeks and then take it from there. We are excited about the new season and keen to explore new possibilities."
