With the goal of improving his own record, which he set at 2:09.31 the day he won the gold medal at the 2019 Lima Pan American Games, Cristhian Pacheco traveled to Japan to compete on December 1st at the 73rd edition of the Fukuoka Marathon, one of the most important races in the world in the distance of 42 kilometers 195 meters.
The athlete from Huancayo, one of the big names on the Fukuoka roster, hopes to finish his unforgettable season with a flourish and continue pushing his limits towards the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
"Cristhian will face high-level rivals, many of whom will be at Tokyo 2020. The objective is to keep gaining experience and, of course, improve the time he set at the Pan American Games," said his coach Rodolfo Gómez.
Pacheco, the Pan American record holder, will compete against athletes of the caliber of Moroccan El Mahjoub Dazza, who has the best time among all competitors with 2:05.26. Ethiopian Tsedad Abeje Ayana, winner of the Seville Marathon; European champion Koen Naert (Belgium); Kenyan Shadrack Kiplagat; and locals Taku Fujim and Yuki Sato are some of the participants with times below 2 hours 09 minutes.
Pacheco, the psychologist
Before leaving for Japan, the national athlete received a full scholarship to study psychology at the Continental University. The national marathoner, who competed in the Rio 2016 Olympics, will study in distance mode and fulfill one of his biggest aspirations.
With this academic incentive, Pacheco became part of the Continental Champions team, a program aimed at outstanding and high-level athletes, created three years ago with the aim of providing them with technical or university professional training.
"I want to teach, prepare not only the physical aspect but also strengthen the mindset of future runners. Having this ability will allow us to train invincible competitors. I am very grateful and happy for the support. My goal is to finish my studies, continue running, and forge talent," said the athlete.
Efraín Sotacuro, Kimberly García, Willy Canchanya, Yenni Vargas, and Sara Vizcarra are some of the more than 50 athletes who belong to Continental Champions, who have managed to progressively adapt their academic and sports life with excellent results.