LOCAL distance athlete Cleveland Forde braved the early morning overcast conditions and brief showers, to emerge champion of the Men’s Open category of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport’s resuscitated Independence Half Marathon yesterday. The diminutive runner completed the gruelling 13.1 miles/21 kilometres from Paradise, East Coast Demerara to the Ministry’s office on Main Street in a time of 1h.14m: 52seconds.
Forde was forced to sprint to the finish, as overseas-based athlete Kelvin Johnson, had gained significant grounds on him during the final 200m of the race which also attracted the participation of Mexican Ambassador to Guyana, 62-year-old Francisco Olguin, who was later greeted by a rapturous applause upon completing the journey.
In a spirited sprint finish that was witnessed by Minister of Sport Dr Frank Anthony, Johnson crossed the line one second behind Forde, while overseas-based Guyanese Eulene Josiah-Tanner took the Women’s Open category, Llewellyn Gardner Men’s Masters and Alisha Fortune who was the lone entry for the Women’s Masters.
Cleveland Thomas, who won the Mexican Embassy 5k a few weeks ago, ended a distant third, just inside three minutes after Forde, clocking 1h: 17m: 22s, while Kevin Bayley (01h: 20m: 40s) and Tyshon Bentick (01h: 23m: 53s) rounded off the top podium spots, finishing fourth and fifth respectively.
In the absence of middle-distance star Alika Morgan, who to the surprise of many did not compete even though she was seen at the start and finish lines, Josiah-Tanner clocked 1h. 29m: 47 seconds to take the top prize in the Women’s Open category.
Her (Josiah-Tanner) victory was such a convincing one, that she had completed her warm down routine exercise, when Ashanti Scott strolled in 13 minutes later to take the second place on the podium, with Eva Harry finishing third.
Gardner was a convincing winner in the Men’s Masters category, completing the journey in a time of 1h. 36m:10 secs, ahead of Silas Brummell who was six minutes slower and Joseph Jardine a further five minutes behind Brummell, with Fortune’s winning time for the Female Masters category being 2h. 05m:40 seconds.
Thirty-seven athletes were sent on their way from the old Regional Democratic Office at Paradise, East Coast Demerara by Director of Sport Neil Kumar at 05:30h, in a slight drizzle.
As the race progressed, the clouds opened up, forcing the athletes to battle through the East Coast Demerara carriageway, under heavy rainfall for a considerable period.
Apart from trophies, the top athletes in each category were presented with handsome cash prizes, while they will also receive a Certificate of Participation, which can be uplifted at the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) office on High Street during the coming week.
Speaking at the presentation ceremony Dr Anthony said the Independence Half Marathon will become a calendar event, while the monthly 5k race on the last Sunday of each month, will commence this month, as the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) has given its blessing to the initiative.
AAG president Colin Boyce urged athletes, as well as fitness fanatics, to join the Independence Half Marathon next year, as the aim should not be to win only, but also to participate and promote a healthy lifestyle.
Kumar and Permanent Secretary in the Sport Ministry, Alfred King, both lauded the organisers for putting the event together, while calling for the number of entries to be doubled in 2013.