Rwanda’s three middle and long distance runners are being put through their final paces ahead of their debut at the International Meeting of Djibouti, slated for March 25 at the Hassan Gouled stadium.

The three include two women Beatha Nishimwe and Honorine Iribagiza, and one male, Emmanuel Ntakiyimana.

According to the national team head coach, Anicet Kanyabugoyi, the three are now doing their final schedules at Amahoro stadium after Ntakiyimana, who had been training in Kenya, joined his teammates on Monday for a final team session before they could head to Djibouti on Thursday.

"We have conducted excellent preparations for the past two months and have actually hit the target, the time being clocked now is great and we shall go there not only to win the medals but also qualify for the 2017 IAAF World championships,” said Kanyabugoyi in an interview with Times Sport

The one-day track and field competition is an International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) meeting that attracts hundreds of athletes from across the world and will act as a qualifying event for the 2017 IAAF World Championships to be held in London, Britain from August 4-13.

The competition will attract athletes in different categories and disciplines, including 100-metres, 200-metres, and 400-metres race for juniors and semi-professionals. The professionals will be invited to compete at events ranging from 800 to 5,000 metres.

18-year-old Iribagiza and 21-year-old Ntakiyimana will compete in 800 metres, while 19-year-old Nishimwe will compete in the 1,500 metres.

According to IAAF minima standards, to qualify for the biennial event in 800 metres in the men’s category, an athlete must clock one minute, 45 seconds and 90 micro seconds, while in the women’s category, they must cover the same distance in two minutes and one second only.

For the 1500m in the women category, a female athlete must not go beyond four minutes, seven seconds and 50 microseconds.

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