IT was not business as usual at the office for Cleveland Forde, Guyana’s leading distance athlete, and for the first time in the eight-year-old COURTS 10K road race, the man known as the ‘little Kenyan’ did not cross the finish line first, thanks to a sensational run by Winston Missigher.

With $100,000 on the line, Missigher out-sprinted Forde to cross the line in a time of 33 minutes and 29 seconds.

Forde, the five-time winner had to settle for second place (33:30), while 2016 winner, Cleveland Thomas (34:13) was third. Jonathan Fagundes (35:09), Odwin Tudor (35:34) and Tyshon Bentick (35:44) rounded out the top six.

When the race started in front of COURTS’ Main Street office, it was Thomas and Fagundes who were setting the pace with the rest of the eventual top five following.

The pair (Thomas and Fagundes) kept their lead up until the 6k mark until Fagundes dropped back and stayed with the pack which included the eventual winner and Forde.

Thomas’ solo run continued until approximately 3k from the finish line where Missigher and Forde began to take the race by storm.

As the three runners entered the eastern carriageway from Lamaha Street, Missigher seized the lead and never relinquished it as Forde followed to the line. Traditionally, Forde would change gears about 600m from the line to claim victory, but on this day, Missigher up the ante at about 700m from the finish as Forde was caught off guard.

Forde desperately tried to secure his seventh Court’s 10k title, but Missigher had just enough left in the tank to hold him off by the tick of the clock.

“No excuses, the better man wins every time and the better man today was Missigher, that’s why he won today,” the 33-year-old Forde told reporters after losing for the first time.

Forde said like anyone else, he will be gunning for the win when he next competes on the road. The South American 10k series starts later this month in Suriname and he will be looking to bounce back. For now, the spoils and the praises go to Missigher.

“I always wanted to win this race,” an elated Missigher noted, adding “I’ve won many races, but this is the one I always wanted and I’m also happy to win it and beat Cleveland.”

The winners of the open male and female categories pocketed $100,000 each, while the immediate runners-up took home $80,000, $60,000, $40,000, $20,000 and $10,000 respectively.

Meanwhile, Kezra Murray, Ashanti Scott, Leyanna Charles, Maria Urquhart, Shaunsel Adams and Latoya Perreira were the top six finishers in the female open category.

A Golden mile for youths along with a 3K event for staff members was also staged yesterday as part of Court’s 25 years anniversary celebrations.