THE Peruvian duo of Yerson Orellana and Luis Ostas placed first and second respectively in the men’s open category of the second leg of the 13th Annual South American 10km Classic Road Race which was staged yesterday, while Trinidadian Tonya Nero finished ahead of Guyana’s premier female road runner Euleen Josiah Tanner.In a race that started at a very fast rate, the two Peruvians were part of a seven-man bunch that surged to the head of affairs. The bunch included Guyana’s Cleveland Forde, Cleveland Thomas and Matthew McKenzie along with Jamaica’s Rupert Greene and Kenyan Kenneth Rotich.

As the leaders reached the Russian Embassy on the upward journey Thomas and Green started to fade, so furious was the pace of the leaders that there was no sight of the females just after turning at the road leading to the University of Guyana Campus. Forde started to fade away and Rotich, Orellana and Ostas stepped up the pace of the race with 13 minutes, 14 seconds on the clock.
At the time, Nero was enjoying a more than 400-metre lead on Josiah Tanner.
After the Russian Embassy turn and heading on to Kitty Public Road, Kenyan Rotich came under severe pressure as the two Peruvians changed gear and quickly opened about an 800-metre lead on him with Forde a further 200 metres adrift.
As the two leaders reached the Kitty Pump Station turning onto Vlissengen Road, the clock read 24 minutes, 15 seconds and Rotich was approximately 300 metres in arrears.
The Peruvians turned into the National Park where a huge crowd had gathered to witness the finish, all hoping to see Forde as one of the two leaders but were left disappointed as Orellana crossed the finish line just one stride ahead of his fellow Peruvian, clocking 31 minutes,08 seconds in the process. Ostos’ time for the race was 31minutes, 09 seconds
On the distaff side, Nero returned a winning time of 37 minutes, 51 seconds, way ahead of Josiah-Tanner who clocked 341 minutes, 03 seconds.

Kenya’s Rotich returned 32 minutes, 18 seconds in placing third in the men’s open category, while Forde clocked 33 minutes, .05 seconds for fourth place.
Andre Foster (42.08) of Guyana was third among the women, but was the first junior female to cross the finish line.
Kenisha Pascal (44.15) of Grenada placed fourth in the women’s category. Shantal Hinds and Beverley Ignacio, both of Guyana, placed second and third respectively in the junior female category.
Matthew McKenzie, Kevin Norah and Emanuel Martin Kevin occupied the top three places respectively in the junior boys’ category, while Ian Arcxhibald, Llewlyn Gardner and Clinton Scotlande were first, second and third respectively in the masters 55 years and over.
In the women’s masters category, Josiah Tanner, by virtue of placing second overall, was crowned champion of the female masters 40 years and over category, while Cyrleen Phillips was second.

By Michael DaSilva