Mark Ouma for IAAF
21 January 2000 - Johannesburg, South Africa - South African 5000m record holder Shadrack Hoff, is set to retire from track athletics to concentrate on road running.
The 26 year old Correctional Services athlete aspires to represent South Africa in the marathon at the Sydney Olympics in September.
A 1996 Atlanta Olympian in his speciality, and one of the country’s most successful long distance track athletes ever, Hoff feels somewhat disappointed: "Despite all my efforts, l have not achieved the times l wanted in certain events. Nonethless, l have had enough of the track," said Hoff.
Hoff entered his name in the record books in 1995 when he clocked a 1500m career best of 3:38.52 in Cape Town, before going on to set the SA 5000m record of 13:14.16 in Gateshead, Britain.
With a personal of 7:47.07 in 1996, he is the third fastest South Africa ever in the 3000m behind Sydney Maree (7:43.0) and Johan Fourie (7:44.0).
A career best of 27:43.89 in 10,000m in Port Elizabeth in 1996, places him the third fastest South African ever in the event after Hendrick Ramaala (27:29.94) and Xolile Yawa (27: 39:65).
Said Hoff: "All that is behind me now. In my opinion, l have run enough track races. My focus now is on making a mark on the road.
He draws inspiration from winning the South Africa half marathon in Durban last year in one hour 2 minutes and four seconds (1:02.04). What’s more that was only his second attempt at the distance.
Hoff went on to retained his South Africa 10km title with a 28 minutes 20 seconds (28:20) effort in Port Elizabeth last November. That was 15 seconds slower than his career best set in Durban in 1996.
He has opened the year on a promising note, finishing tenth at the Cross Italica International meeting in Seville, Spain last weekend. "This is my first race in the IAAF World Cross Country Challenge.
"By competing against athletes like Kenya’s Paul Tergat, l am building endurance, while at the same time improving my competition fitness," said Hoff from his base in the Netherlands.
"My goal this year is to represent South Africa in the marathon at the Sydney Olympics. I have taken unpaid leave for the whole year so that l can concentrate on training and give the Olympic campaign my best shot," said the prisons officer.
"My last track race will be the 10000m at the final ABSA series meeting in Port Elizabeth on February 25. l will use the event to gauge my speed before l run my first marathon in Rotterdam, Holland in April," said Hoff.
He hopes to run under 2 hours 11 minutes (2:11:00), which is the Athletics South Africa’s Olympic qualifying time for the marathon.
This week, Athletics South Africa (ASA) Chief Executive Officer, Banele Sindani, justified the stringent requirement.
"We have made the Olympics qualifying time three minutes faster than the time set by the Intertnational Amateur Athletics Federation because we have quality runners in depth".
The opportunity to cash in on the ever-increasing prize money on the growing international road running circuit, is a crucial factor in Hoff’s decision to pound the tarmac.
"At the end of the day, we have to look after ourselves. Since competitive athletics is not a long term career, l would like to make provision for myself and my family for when l am no longer a worldclass athlete," Hoff disclosed.
