Legend Zola Budd urge locals runners not to over race

The legendary barefoot runner expresses concern that many South African athletes are driven by the lure of prize money instead of focusing on improving their skills.

Budd, who is currently a coach at Stellenbosch High School where she mentors over 50 athletes, strongly believes that by choosing races conscientiously and spending more time training, SA runners can rise to the challenge and compete with the world's best.

“One of the major challenges in South Africa is that the leading male and female athletes are employed in full-time jobs, making it difficult for them to strike a balance between their professional commitments and their running pursuits”, she told SABC Sport.

“As a result, they struggle to dedicate themselves to fully rigorous training and often lack adequate time for recovery. Even among those who aren’t occupied with work, there is a concerning trend of participating in races every weekend. As a legend in the sport, this worries me deeply. I firmly believe that if our athletes shift their focus from constant racing to prioritising dedicated training, we have the potential to achieve remarkable success in athletics,” Budd shared. 

Looking ahead to the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, from 19 to 25 August, Budd is confident SA can medal. She points out the country has excellent athletes, including Akani Simbine (SA 100m champion), Wayde Van Niekerk (world record holder in the 400m with 43.03) and up-and-coming long-distance runner Adriaan Wildshutt.

With these exceptional professionals competing at the highest level in the lead-up to the championships, Budd remains optimistic they can produce noteworthy performances and secure accolades for the nation.

“We can win one or two medals at the world champs. I have been following local athletes abroad and I am happy with what I have seen,” she told the public broadcaster.

Budd groomed the 25-year-old Wildshutt, who broke the 10 000m, 5000m and 3000m records in a single year SA. The United States-based runner smashed Hendrick Ramaala’s 1999 record in the 10 000-metre race by six seconds in May. In July, he broke Elroy Gelant’s 2016 best in the 5000m by two seconds with a time of 27:23:10 and was one second faster than Jerry Mostau with a time of 7:39:25.

“I first came across Adriaan about five years ago during the coaching journey in America, and I must say, I am pleasantly amazed by the way he has shattered all those records. Adriaan possesses a rare combination of skills, he is a true professional runner with an unwavering focus and a high level of concentration.

"His dedication to the sport is unparalleled, and I firmly believe that if he continues on this path, he has the potential to break even more records. I couldn’t be happier for him,” Budd, expressing her admiration and delight for Adriaan’s achievements.