EULEEN Josiah-Tanner won her fourth Annual COURTS 10K Road Race while Cleveland Thomas made good use of the absence of defending champion Cleveland Forde to win the senior male category when the event was run off yesterday. 

The race, which started at the company’s Main Street, Georgetown head office, saw the largest number of participants for a 10K Road Race of any kind in Guyana.
Hampered by the dreadful Chikungunya virus and Dengue fever, Forde, the two-time defending champion, was unable to compete, but his absence didn’t stop Thomas from running one of the fastest times in the event’s four-year history.
The Running Brave Athletics Club athlete clocked 32 minutes 56.13 seconds to win the race ahead of Kelvin Johnson (33:31.81), Tyson Bentinck (33:35.20), Dennis Horatio (34:21.94) and Nathanial Giddings (34:33.37).
Meanwhile, Euleen Josiah-Tanner can safely be called the ‘owner’ of the COURTS 10K Road Race after she easily won the event, this time, with little or no competition.
Josiah-Tanner raced across the finish line and stopped her watch which read 38 minutes 30.79 seconds to win the female category.
Her closest rival Alika Morgan (42:57.87), Guyana’s queen of the distance races, was beaten into a distant third position with Andrea Foster, the daughter of local sprint ace Alicia Fortune finishing a commendable second running a time of 41 minutes 46.19 seconds.
In the junior male category, another Running Brave athlete, Matthew McKenzie was first, running 34 minutes 44.17 seconds. Calvis Saul (35.22) and Marlon Nicholson with a time of 35 minutes 42.55 seconds rounded off the top three

finishers in the class.
Shontell Hinds (43:07.76) won the junior girls category, beating Delicia Harper (43:07.76) into second place and Cassey Kirton (46:02.19) into third.
Speaking to reporters after the race, Thomas said that with or without Forde, his aim was to win the race.
“It was a very nice race I must say, and the conditions were perfect for running. My aim was to run under 33 minutes. I did it before but not in Guyana so it’s the first time I’m running that time in Guyana. I think even if Cleveland Forde) was here I would’ve ran the same time but I’m happy I won,” Thomas said.
Only last week Carey Griffith, owner of Windjammer Hotel along with proprietor of Professional Key Shop Quincy Ridley sponsored Thomas and his partner McKenzie for the event, donating supplements and new pairs of running shoes.
“I must say thank you to Carey and Quincy for believing in me as well; and what they did played a part in the outcome of today’s race and I will continue to do them proud,” Thomas added.
Up next on Thomas’ agenda is the South American 10K next month.
For Josiah-Tanner, a call for more competition was made and the U.S.-based distance athlete added “It was a great run and I’m happy that the Almighty God has blessed me with good health and strength to win again. Now, I’ll rest then prepare for a couple more races, including coming back to Guyana for the first leg of the South American 10K”