Rudisha cautions athletes against too many races ahead of global championships

Two-time Olympic 800m champion David Rudisha has advised athletes against competing in many races in the build-up to the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, Japan in September.
There has been an emergence of track leagues, including the Grand Slam Track League, which offers athletes lucrative prize money but the price the athletes have to pay is competing in many races. The track league will be held in four different locations, including Kingston, Miami, Philadelphia and Los Angeles.
However, Rudisha has explained that it is unwise for athletes to compete in many races, revealing that it will lead to fatigue before they head into the main event.
He pointed out that during his time as an athlete, he never used to compete in many races and it helped him gauge his body and have time to work on the things that needed improvement ahead of the championship.
The 800m world record holder added that the main goal is to win the championship, be it the Olympics or World Championships and athletes should make that the priority as they train and compete sparingly.
“These kinds of competitions prepare our athletes for major competitions. It depends on the management and how they prepare their athletes. During my time, I used to run very few races to try to improve my time and gauge my body at that particular time and see what to do at that time,” said Rudisha.
“I would know what to work on that, either trying to improve my speed or endurance. There is no need to run many races ahead of major championships. The main goal is to win the major championships hence an athlete needs to maintain their energy ahead of the challenge.”
The plan worked perfectly for the Kenyan sensation who won the 800m at the 2012 London Olympic Games and the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
Rudisha also broke the 800m world record at the 2012 Olympics, clocking an impressive 1:40.91 to win the final. At the World Championships, David Rudisha also accomplished a lot, winning the titles in 2011 and 2015.