… All systems in place for South American 10K second leg on Sunday

CLEVELAND Forde is not known for being boastful or even much of a talker. However, yesterday the Medal of Service recipient threw down the gauntlet, signalling all intentions to take Sunday’s South American 10K Road Race second leg.

On October 28, in Suriname, Forde won the first leg of the prestigious South American event, clocking 33 minutes 52 seconds (33:52) in a race that saw Guyana’s Winston Missigher (33:53) finish second and Cleveland Thomas (33:54) cross the line third.
Forde is of the opinion that Sunday’s race is “going to be very interesting, tough and close”, taking into account the conclusion of the first leg.

According to Forde, the matchup with Missigher and Thomas is “really competitive and that’s good; everyone is motivated and it’s good for the sport and we hope that this will also help for better times.”

Last year, Forde’s winning time in Guyana was 33:42, and when asked about posting an even faster time this year, Forde made it clear that on Sunday, it will not be about the ‘clock’, but rather running smart.

“Never underestimate the opposition,” Forde said, adding, “because while I might be looking at Missigher, it could be someone else coming ahead of us, so it’s not just Missigher alone. Yes, he’s (Missigher) running very well right now, he’s doing his work, he towed the line, he waited for his time and that time has come and he’s representing well. It’s good for not him alone, but for others, it will help to lift the standards.”

Meanwhile, Aubrey Hutson, president of the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG), pointed out that based on information received from his counterparts in South America and the Caribbean, some of the top and well-known athletes are geared to compete in Guyana, where the winner of the male and female categories, apart from the cash incentives, will win ‘real gold’ medals.

The race will start on Carifesta Avenue at the GTT Earth Station, from where the athletes will proceed to the Rupert Craig Highway, make a U-turn at the University of Guyana junction, then head onto the Kitty Public Road, into JB Lachmansingh Road, on to Thomas Lands and into the National Park for the finish.

It was advised that unlike previous years, with the help of the Guyana Police Force, the entire 10K route will be closed to traffic and only authorised vehicles will be allowed.