Abass Mohammed said: “Training alone takes a lot from an athlete, then the actual competition. Most athletes don’t have experienced nutritionists and therefore train and compete without good preparation, this could lead to sudden death.”
By Uzor Odigbo
Former Nigerian Marathon legend, Colonel Abass Mohammed (rtd) has expressed disdain over athletes engaging and competing in multiple full Marathon races in a year.
Abass Mohammed who is one of the Coaches from Army University that participated in the Training the Trainer seminar in Gombe recently said it is dangerous having an athlete take part in more than three full Marathon races in one year as it could lead to sudden death.
“Certainly, in this country, I’m one of the foremost marathon runners and have the right and experience to advise up-and-coming runners on how to deal with multiple long-distance races for their own good.
“I discovered that owing to more money in Marathon races nowadays, athletes are lured into participating in more than three races per year without considering the health implications.
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“Training alone takes a lot from an athlete, then the actual competition.
Most athletes participating in today’s race don’t have experienced nutritionists and therefore, train and compete without good preparation. This could lead to sudden death,” said Mohammed.
He said that a full Marathon (42.5) race is about 45 km and organisers of these marathon races and AFN should be mindful of Athletes’ health before allowing their participation.
One of the resource persons at the Athletes Seminar in Gombe, Dr Alex Sule Miana advises runners to choose their races carefully and not be greedy for money to the detriment of their health.
He warned that experienced runners should not go for competition that won’t add up to their well-being, insisting that three full marathon races a year, with adequate preparation, would be enough for runners.
The one-day NAATO Seminar was Sponsored by the Chairman Gombe State Athletics Association, Alhaji Ahmed Gara Shuaibu Gombe.