By Tamica Garnett
Fresh from their participation last Sunday in the  Olympic Day Run Walk and Jog event, distance runners Cleveland Forde and Alika Morgan now turn their attention to the sixth annual Caribbean Community (CARICOM) 10 kilometres road race which will be held in Jamaica next month.

Last year Forde won the male category when the event was held in Guyana beating into second place defending champion Pamenos Ballentyne of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and walking away with the US$1200 first prize.

Morgan though was beaten to the top spot by Trinidad and Tobago’s Shermin Lasaldo and will have revenge on her mind as she seeks to recover the title.

Lasaldo last year ended Morgan’s four-year long monopoly of the title after succumbing to a foot injury and failing to finish the final mile of the race.

Beginning in 2005, the annual event is held in conjunction with the CARICOM Heads of Government Conference and it is considered obligatory that each CARICOM country send two representatives – one male and one female – to participate.

The expense incurred for the athletes to attend is sustained by the government of each country. The Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) has confirmed that they have already submitted the budget for the event to the government and is awaiting a response.

As the host of the event last year, Guyana was afforded the privilege of having six athletes participate in the event.

The top three athletes of the male and female categories are usually awarded monetary prizes.

Both Forde and Morgan have said that they feel well prepared for the event and will be taking the race in their stride.

The two told Stabroek Sport that they expect their current training method to be sufficient enough to prepare them to perform at their best in the event.

Morgan trains with the Rising Stars Athletics Club under the guidance of coach Leslie Black, while Forde, who previously trained with Black, is currently self-trained.

“Normally I would train in the morning and afternoon, about two hours in the morning from about 04.30 and about an hour in the afternoon, mostly in the National Park,” Forde stated, giving an insight into his training routine.

He added  that he was just looking forward to putting his best out there and that he was expecting good competition.