PREMIER Guyanese female distance athlete Alika Morgan will be looking to upstage her arch rival Euleen Josiah-Tanner on Sunday, when the Amateur Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) stages the 6th Annual Massy 10K run which takes off from Vreed-en-Hoop on the West Coast of Demerara and concludes at Associated Limited (AINLIM) head office at Ruimveldt.
With lucrative cash and other prizes at stake, Sunday’s event is expected to be a thrilling one, both in the female and male categories and the female defending champion, Josiah-Tanner, will have to be wary of Morgan who after a layoff from the sport returned last Sunday to win the female category of the 5 000-metre of the Guyana Masters Athletics Association 5K meet in the National Park.
Apart from that performance, Morgan also placed third overall in the Open 5K race. This category was won by Josiah Phillips.
Speaking to Chronicle Sport via telephone yesterday, Morgan informed that she has been off the scene for a while, but started preparing for Sunday’s event two weeks ago and used last Sunday’s race as a trial run leading up to Sunday. Asked what her chances on Sunday are, she replied, “Not 100 percent but I’m going to give it my all.”
The winner of both the male and female categories on Sunday will be rewarded with $75 000 each and trophies.
The winning junior male and female athletes (age 16-19) will receive a $50 000 training grant.
Sunday’s event is the first in a series of 10K races which culminate with the much anticipated South American 10K race in November.
Meanwhile, the male defending champion Cleveland `The Little Kenyan’ Forde could not be reached for a comment yesterday and according to sources within the AAG, Forde has been preparing very hard for the event.
Since its inception, Forde has won the past five editions and will seek to make Sunday’s race his sixth consecutive victory over the distance
At the launch of the activity two weeks ago, AAG president Aubrey Hutson said he was grateful for the support and told his benefactor. “The organisers (of the AAA) are extremely grateful for the continuance of such chivalry and I wish to extend heartfelt gratitude to the management of Massy Group of Companies,” he said.
The AAG President had informed that his executives have given a thought for those aged athletes who compete under adverse circumstances. He said that apart from the usual trophy the veterans will also receive a special surprise gift. He declined from disclosing the nature of the prize. “We are happy to continue working with the Massy Group of Companies and look forward to a competitive event,” Hutson had concluded.
Top marathon runner, Cleveland Thomas, was also at the forum and expressed deep gratitude to the sponsors on behalf of his colleagues. “We are currently engaged in earnest preparations and can hardly wait for competition day,” said the marathon runner.
Last year, Forde finished the race in a time of 33 minutes 20.12 seconds, as the race crossed the Demerara Harbour Bridge for the first time that year,
He was closely followed by arch-rival Cleveland Thomas who clocked 33 minutes 48.81 seconds for second position while Nathaniel Giddings was third in 34:07.64, Dennis Horatio fourth in 34:40.52 while Winston Missinger was fifth in 35:34.08.

United States-based Josiah-Tanner continued her domination of the local race circuit that year, as she crossed the finishing line in 39 minutes 25.89 seconds, two minutes ahead of second place finisher Alika Morgan (40:37.75) who was the inaugural race winner.
Andrea Foster was third in 42 minutes 06.76 seconds followed by Carlissa Atkinson (fourth) in 45:18.71 and Jevina Straker (fifth) in 45:06.13.

In the Boys category, Grivon Grant was the top finisher in a time of 35:27.19 followed in second position by Ornesto Thomas in 35:57.53, Colvis Saul 36:13.05 (third), Matthew Mackenzie fourth 36:17.06 and Carl Mackenzie 36:42.88 fifth.
Shontel Hinds placed first in the girls category in a time of 45:14.56, second Mariah Mackenzie 46:19.81, Yolit Charles 50:26.13 (third), Keneshew Stephenson 52:14.51 (fourth) and Endia Forte (fifth) in one hour seven minutes, 40 seconds.
Alisha Fortune maintained her stronghold of the Veteran womens’ category as she crossed the finishing line in 52:48.77 followed in second position by Cryleen Phillips in 54:07.12 and Carla Benjamin third in 1:01.49.
Eon Archibald was first in the veteran 40-55 age category in 38:40.77 followed by Lindon Hornson (42:30.51) and Kwame Bright (42:32.05). The winner of the Men’s 55 years and over was Llewellyn Gardner who finished in 41:14.71 followed by Ravi Purohit in 49:16.03 and Maurice Fagundes in 50:36.28.

By Michael DaSilva