GUYANA’s Cleveland Forde and Trinidad and Tobago’s Tonya Nero ran brilliantly to claim top honours in the Guyana leg of the South American 10KM road race which was staged in the City’s streets yesterday.

The 27-year old Forde ran quite a strategic race to finish in a time of 33 minutes, 35 seconds (33:35s) in the Men’s category while Nero’s form took her to victory in a time of 38 minutes, six seconds (38:06s) in the Women’s category.
Coming in behind Forde were Richard Jones (33:38s), Matthew Hagley (33:42s) and Curtis Cox (33.52s) all of T&T, while local athlete Dennis Horatio was fifth in a time of (33:48s).
Grenada’s Kenisha Pascal was second in the Women’s category (43:10s), Guyana’s Ashanti Scott was third (44:21s) and Dixie-Ann Nelson of T&T was fourth in a time of 56:53s.
The top five finishers in these two categories won US$1 000, US$600, US$400, US$300 and US$200.
Jevina Straker was the top junior female with a time of 44:55s ahead of Dorette Wilson (45:30s), Adama Roberts (45:43s) and Shenika Chapman (49:32s). Nathaniel Giddings was the top male junior running a time of (34:33s) while Devaun Barrington (36:40s), Grivon Grant (36:49s) and Colvis Saul (36:54s) finished second, third and fourth, respectively.
The top finishers in these two categories carted off $40 000, $30 000, $20 000 and $10 000, while the Master’s Women received $30 000, $20 000 and $10 000 and the Masters Men competed for $25 000, $15 000 and $5 000.
Alisha Fortune won the Masters Women in a time of 54:39s ahead of Cyrleen Phillips (55:56s) while the top Masters Men were Ian Archibald (41:25s), Robert McRae (42:11s) and Lindon Harrison (44:41s).
Llewellyn Gardner (41:36s) finished first in the Men 56-80 race with Maurice Fagundes (52:02s), second, and Henry Ivelaw (58:27s), third.
The race began quite steamy with Barrington and Giddings leading for the first 2KM but Barrington began dropping back in the first pack which included Forde, Horatio, Jones, Hagley, Cox and the Brazilian Jackson Mendes.
Approaching the 5KM mark which was just after the turn at Conversation Tree, Hagley caught up with Giddings while the pack still remained with Horatio, Forde and the other two Trinidadians. At this point for the females Nero led Pascal by at least 400m.
Around the 7KM mark Hagley overtook Giddings and put 50 metres between him and the pack. But the pack started thinning off with only Forde, Jones and Cox pressing to catch Hagley.
Racing into the final kilometre, Forde stepped up with Jones and caught Hagley just seconds after they entered the Eve Leary Sports Complex Ground. With 150m to go Forde powered away from the Trinidadians to finish first in front of a very supportive Guyanese crowd.