Moraa looks to go one better in 800m at Rabat

Commonwealth Games 800 metres champion, Mary Moraa, aims to lower her personal best time when she lines up in Rabat Diamond League on Sunday, and to possibly retain the title she won last season in the Moroccan capital city.

Incidentally, it’s at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, the venue of this weekend’s meeting, where Moraa registered her personal best time of one minute and 58.93 seconds with victory in 800m.

“I will always have good memories of the venue (Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat) and I hope for a good performance there,” Moraa said.

She will be competing at the venue for the third time on Sunday. Prior to competing at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium last year, Moraa ran the 400m at the iconic stadium, finishing fourth in the final during the 2019 African Games.

Speaking about her performance at the Kenyan leg of the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold series (Absa Kip Keino Classic) on May 13 in which she won in season best time of 1:58.83, the Kenyan record holder over 400m said it was a sign of good things to come this year.

“I had to come out strongly at the Kip Keino Classic for my country and fans. My target of sub-two minutes after I had broken the national record in 400m in Botswana two weeks earlier,” Moraa explained after her training session at the Nyayo National Stadium Tuesday. “I am glad that things fell in place well.”

Moraa had on April 29 shattered her own national 400m record, winning the race at the Botswana Golden Grand Prix in 50.44 seconds.

 “A good showing in Rabat on Sunday will depend on many factors, including good weather, good health and good pacesetters,” said Moraa, the 2022 World Athletics Championships 800m bronze medallist.

“I would like to register a time of 1:57 or even 1:56, with a pace of 56 or 57 seconds at the bell. I am working with my coach for a pefect 600m, then I see how my legs will respond in the last 200m,” Moraa, who is handled by former middle distance runner Alex Sang, said.

Moraa will know her opponents in Rabat today. While her ultimate target is a podium place finish at the World Athletics Championships scheduled for August 19 to 27 in Budapest, Hungary, Moraa is also exploring the possibility of breaking the national 800m record.

The 2008 Olympic 800m champion Pamela Jelimo holds the national record time of 1:54.01 set in Zürich on August 29, 2008.

Jelimo’s time is ranked as the third fastest time in history after the world record of 1:53.28 held by Jarmila Kratochvílová of the Czech Republic which was set on July 26, 1983 in Munich.

Russian Nadezhda Olizarenko holds the second fastest time of 1:53.43 from Moscow on July 27, 1980.

“I am in talks with my coach who is really exerting pressure on me, which is good since you must dream about these things when you are in good form and health,” said Moraa. “One must get the right balance over the distance to strike a good time.”

Sang said after Rabat, his athlete will return home for the Kenya Police Athletics Championships on June 7-9 in Nairobi before making her debut at the Lausanne leg of the Diamond League on June 30.