Thomas will be hard-pressed to defend COURTS 10K title
FLASHBACK: Cleveland Thomas (right) crosses the finish line ahead of Kelvin Johnson to win the 4th Annual COURTS 10K run.
FLASHBACK: Cleveland Thomas (right) crosses the finish line ahead of Kelvin Johnson to win the 4th Annual COURTS 10K run.

 

WHEN the starter fires his pistol to signal the start of the 5th Annual COURTS 10K run on Sunday, defending champion Cleveland Thomas will be hard-pressed to make a successful defence of the title he won last year.
This is so, because Guyana’s premier 10K athlete, Cleveland `Little Kenyan’ Forde will not miss out on this year’s event as happened last year when he was battling a bout of chikungunya and dengue fever.
Forde has beaten Thomas on a number of occasions over the distance and come Sunday, both athletes will be seeking to set a new time for the course and distance.
Last year, Thomas did well to return a winning time of 32 minutes 56.13 seconds, which is faster than the 33.58 he recorded last Sunday in the Massy 10K run won by Forde in 33.15.
Unlike the Massy 10K run which was held during the morning when the sun was in all its glory, the COURTS event will be held in the afternoon when the weather is much kinder to athletes.
After placing second to Forde last Sunday, Thomas had told Chronicle Sport that Forde and himself were pacing the race together and when Forde accelerated nearing the western end of the Demerara Harbour Bridge it caught him (Thomas) by surprise. “I wasn’t expecting him to do that at that point.”
He said he would have a different race plan come Sunday but did not disclose what his plans are.
Thomas said even if Forde was part of last year’s event, he (Thomas) would have run the same time he clocked then.
Forde, a two-time winner of the event (2012 and 2013) on the other hand said he (Forde) does not get the kind of competition he looks forward to in order to lower his timings and is hoping that come Sunday he would be able to eclipse his 10K record time.
In 2013, `The Little Kenyan’ clocked 33.2 to finish ahead of Thomas.
Kelvin Johnson (33.31.81) placed second to Thomas last year and it is not clear if he (Johnson) will be a part of this year’s activity as he is currently based in Trinidad along with another top Guyanese 10K athlete Lionel D’Andrade who is also doubtful to face the starter on Sunday.
Other athletes who will be pushed to retain their respective titles on Sunday are Matthew McKenzie (junior male) and Shontell Hinds (junior girls).
McKenzie won his category last year in 34.44:17, while Hinds returned 43.07:76.
Calvis Scott (35.22) placed second to McKenzie, while Marlon Nicholson (35.42:55) was third.
Delicia Harper (43.07:36) was second to Hinds last year, while Cassey Kirton (46.02:19 was third.

 

By Michael DaSilva

 

 

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :
Facebook
Twitter
WhatsApp

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

All our printed editions are available online
emblem3
Subscribe to the Guyana Chronicle.
Sign up to receive news and updates.
We respect your privacy.