Long-distance runners Felicien Muhitira and Yves Nimubona are in Djibouti as they seek to win a medal in the inaugural Djibouti International Half-Marathon, slated for Friday, March 5.
The international race, dubbed ‘Gateway to Arica’, was organized by the Djibouti Ports and Free Zones Authority in partnership with the Djibouti athletics federation.
This international race will bring together international athletes including celebrated British athlete Sir Mo Farah and several athletes who qualified for the next Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Muhitira, who also has a ticket for the Olympic Games in the full marathon category, departed Kigali Tuesday, March 2, where he joined Yves Nimubona, who arrived in Djibouti on Monday, March 1.
The duo are teammates at APR Athletics Club.
Before departing the Kigali International Airport, Muhitira told Times Sport that he wanted a big competition during which he can test his current performance as he continues preparations for the Tokyo 2020 scheduled in July.
"Half—marathon is a good test for me to prepare for the marathon at the Tokyo 2020 Games and this competition itself and the challenge from athletes that I will go up against will help me gauge the level of my preparations,” Muhitira said.
Muhitira has been doing intensive trainings in Kibungo since December last year but struggled to find competitions
Since he qualified for the Olympic Games during a race held in Italy in 2019, Muhitira, like other athletes, hasn’t been able to get competitions to help him prepare adequately due to the coronavirus pandemic.
"We put in a lot of efforts to help him attend this competition because we felt it is important to evaluate the level of his preparations before he heads to Tokyo,” said the APR Athletics coach Innocent Rwabuhihi.
Muhitira’s good showing in Djibouti could boost his chances of booking yet another ticket to compete for a medal in the half-marathon in the Tokyo 2020 Games.
His teammate, Nimubona, will also be looking to write his name in Djibouti and better prepare for the Kigali International Marathon slated in June.