Musagala trains on murram track

IAAF Continental Cup

Dates: September 8-9
Venue: Ostrava, Czech Republic

Uganda's lone representative at the forthcoming IAAF Continental Cup has made drastic changes in his training.

While many athletes are rushing for tartan, the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) runner has opted for murram.

He shifted his training from Namboole stadium to Uganda Christian University's murram track.

"Murram is a more difficult surface. You work harder such that by the time you get to the smoother tartan, you are in superb form," explained the national 1500 meter record holder.

Musagala who won bronze at the just concluded Africa Athletics Championships, cites Kenya's success story as a classic example of the benefits of training on murram.

"Most of the Kenyans you see shining at different international meets work out on murram." He says that results are already evident.

"My 3:35.33 season's best run in France last month was a result of my change in training."

Musagala leaves on September 5 for the Czech capital Ostrava. Africa's team for the September 8 to 9 competition was selected from the just concluded Africa Championship in Asaba, Nigeria.

Uganda's other bronze medalists Josephine Lalam (javelin) and Timothy Toroitich could not make the Ostrava cut. This competition, formerly known as the IAAF World Cup, is a quadrennial track and field event contested by teams representing continents.

Each of the six continents rather than just individual countries field teams.

South Africa, led by triple Africa gold medalist Caster Semenya, tops the African quota with 20 athletes.

They are followed by Nigeria with 16. Kenya has nine while Morocco has six while Egypt and Ethiopia have four each.

Each continental team will enter two athletes for each individual event and one team for each relay (maximum six athletes).