Long-distance runner, participant of the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic Games Remigijus Kančys is intensively preparing for the coming starts. Although the marathons of Paris, Berlin, Frankfurt and others have been cancelled, a new hope has now emerged for the marathon runner. “In the near future, I hope to make a start in the elite group of the London Marathon on October 4. The organizers of the marathon have assured that the event would take place,” says R. Kančys. In the 2016 Olympic Games, he came 75th and now has a plan to participate in the Olympic Games in Tokyo as well. Last year his results were excellent. He ran the Frankfurt Marathon in 2 hours 12 minutes 50 seconds and took 11th place breaking his personal record and achieving second best result in the history of the country. “I could get even better this year, but due to the global pandemic, the runs are being cancelled. The implementation of the standards, which was suspended until the beginning of December, will be resumed on September 1, and this gives hope. Despite the fact that the London Marathon will take place, it will not be easy to find a race where I can participate. It is not easy in the world of sports nowadays, and we are no exception,” said the runner.
The marathon runner has been training intensively and runs about two hundred kilometres every week. R. Kančys pays a lot of attention not only to physical, but also psychological preparation. He spends most of his time with coach Inga Juodeškienė, and a coach from the USA also helps to prepare for future starts.
“These specialists complement each other. I have been working with Inga for many years, and the experience of a US specialist helps to better plan the preparation process, to be in the best shape when it is most needed,” says the 33-year-old runner.
An alumnus of Lithuanian Sports University (LSU) “Coaching Science” study program, he not only prepares for future starts, but also coaches himself. He has been spending a lot of time lately in the warm-up area near the university. “Although I plan to continue my professional career for several years, I try to gain as much practical knowledge as possible. I like to coach, and my studies at Lithuanian Sports University gave me confidence. In the future, I plan to focus on coaching. I know that an athlete’s career will not last forever,” said the LSU alumnus. R. Kančys coaches both children and adults. He is also proud of his first achievements as a coach. In the recent “Vilnius 100 km running”, his student Gitana Akmanavičiūtė became the winner. His other students are also happy with their victories.
“The knowledge I gained at the university helps me not only in coaching, but also in my sports career. I have a better understanding of my coaches’ tactical ideas, human physiology, and psychology. All this helps to prepare for and run long distances. The knowledge of sports science at the university was conveyed by the best specialists, and also by my coach – Inga Juodeškienė, an alumna of Lithuanian Sports University,” says R. Kančys.
The marathon runner says that recently he has been focused on the ranking points, which would open up opportunities for participation in Tokyo Olympics next year.
