ROAD RUNNING
The team at PUMA are equally thrilled to have Precious on board with their brand . “ Precious is one of the shining lights of South African distance running and joins our growing family of track and road runners ,” says Brett Bellinger , Marketing Director of PUMA South Africa . “ We will work with Precious to realise his goals of breaking national records , excelling on the global stage and inspiring local young athletes .”
Eyes always on the prize …
possible . With 3km to go , the lead pack was down to five runners , and when Precious surged at 9km , only 2019 winner in Durban , Stephen Mokoka , was able to respond , but just as in Gqeberha , he once again found that Precious had too much speed in the final kick .
Precious crossed the line in 28:11 , improving his PB by 15 seconds and finishing four seconds ahead of Stephen . Afterwards , Precious said , “ I am happy to have retained my national title and to win the Absa DURBAN 10K CITYRUN . It has been a difficult year for all of us , but for me this has still been a good year , and after today , I am in good shape for the Absa CAPE TOWN 12K CITYRUN and am looking forward to running there in three weeks ’ time . We know they are bringing out the best for this race , so I am excited to see how I can do there .”
Cape Town did prove a little disappointing , as Precious showed clear signs of being tired after a long year of racing , dropping out of contention for the win early in the race and losing a further four positions in the final two kilometres , eventually finishing ninth in 35:18 . However , after a year full of PBs , national titles and international highlights , and given his belief in his talent and ability , he will undoubtedly bounce back quickly … and the announcement late in 2021 of a new sponsorship deal will no doubt buoy his spirits going into the new year .
Powered by PUMA
In November , PUMA announced that it had signed a partnership with Precious , which will see the sports brand supply him with technical running product , including footwear , apparel and accessories , to carry him through to the next Olympics . Precious says he has joined the PUMA family as he had been looking for an opportunity to work with a brand that could help him get to the next level . “ 2021 was a good year for me . I learnt a lot about myself , and I also understood how I can inspire young kids from my Ga-Maraba village in the Limpopo Province with my story of never giving up . PUMA can help to share that story . I would also like to thank Ntate Michael Meyer of Stillwater Sports for helping to make sure that this happens . I ’ m grateful for the opportunity ,” said Precious , who hails from the village .
Precious is currently running in PUMA ’ s Deviate Nitro Elite , part of the brand ’ s new running shoe range , and was wearing them when he won the SA 10km title in Durban in October . “ They suit me because I do most of my training on grass , which is good for building my muscles , and then when I race on the road , I have that extra bounce , which I can feel in the shoes , and which helps me to run faster ,” he says .
Speaking of goals , Precious says his major goals for 2022 are to qualify for either the 5000m or 10,000m at the World Championships in Eugene , in the USA , but he will still focus on the road as well . “ I will also continue running 10km and half marathon races in SA , and the plan is to dominate in those events , while racing overseas when there is an opportunity ,” he says . The only question that now remains is when , rather than if , he will make his delayed step up to the marathon , and how fast he can go over the classic 42.2km distance . He is still improving over distances from 5000m to 21.1km , so it makes sense to stick to those distances for now , but with his speed and determination , he may be the next big star of SA marathoning .
Proudly wearing the PUMA brand
Precious in action in Poznan , on his way to clocking 1:00:00
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