Jauhari hopes to keep the pace

Jauhari hopes to keep the pace

Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

With the Jakarta International 10k only four days away, local
runners say they will keep it close against more experienced
international runners.

Jauhari Johan, last year's winner in the national runner
category, said on Tuesday he would do his best in facing runners
with better times.

"My goal is to improve my best time of 30:59 minutes and win
the race. It will be good for me to compete with the world
runners."

Jauhari said he finished about 350 meters from Sammy Kirupto
of Kenya, the champion in the international category, last year.

"This time, at the very least I want to be closer to them," he
said. "10K is my specialization, so I want to do my best."

A total of 19 national athletes in training for the Southeast
Asian (SEA) Games will participate in the Jakarta 10K race on
Sunday.

They will compete against 32 international runners, including
last year's runner up Sulle Martin of Tanzania in the men's
division, and 2004 women's runner up Leah Mallot of Kenya.

Jauhari, who trains in Pengalengan, West Java, in the national
training program, believes it is sufficient preparation for
Sunday.

"I won a half marathon in New Zealand last month with
competitors from Hong Kong, Philippines, Chinese Taipei, Macau,
and New Zealand," he said. "That's a sign that my training is
OK."

The Pengalengan group practices twice daily, from 7 a.m. - 9
a.m., and 3 p.m.- 5 p.m., with the weekends off.

Other athletes, including Triyaningsih, the 2004 Jakarta 10K
women's national winner, are training in Salatiga, Central Java.

Ferry Subnafeu, a marathoner who will participate in the race,
is also guarded in her expectations.

"I am not in good condition because I am still bothered by an
injury to my left foot. I just hope that this time I could
improve my time of 35:06 minutes," said Ferry, who won a marathon
in Hong Kong earlier this year.

Ferry took fourth place in last year's Jakarta 10K race, but
in the absence of last year's third place finisher Supriati
Sutono, she may have a better chance of a higher finish.

The race offers US$11,000 to each winner in the men's and
women's international category, and Rp 15 million for the
respective champions in the men's and women's national category.