Despite a late start and the event being disorganised, Daniel Gaskin and Semona Lawrence came out on top of the male and female categories respectively, to win the National Schools Athletics Championship 10K Road Race yesterday.

Set for a 6:00 am start, the race never got on the way some 50 minutes later owing to the fact that several of the competitors arrived late and the unavailability of ‘pins’ and ‘bibs’. The organisers certainly didn’t put much into planning the race and it was evident.

Nonetheless, when things got underway, Gaskin of District 5 and Lawrence of District 9 were too strong for the competition.

Gaskin, a third form student of Mahaica Secondary, ran 35 minutes, 51 seconds to take the title, beating District 6’s Odwin Tudor (36:35) into second place and one of Guyana’s leading junior distance athlete Mathew McKenzie was a distant third, clocking 36 minutes, 57.4 seconds.

In the female category, Lawrence, who ran with just a pair of socks, posted an impressive 41 minutes, 55.9 seconds as she ran unopposed from the start of the race on Carifesta Avenue to the finish line in the National Park. (Rawle Toney)

Photo Caption: Semona Lawrence crossing the finish line in the National Park.
Photo Name: Semona Lawrence