Fifty-two athletes, 43 local and nine from other countries within the region, have so far been confirmed (and a lot more are still expected to get on board) for the Guyana leg of the International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF)/South American Athletics Confederation 10KM Road Classic, scheduled for Sunday.
This was announced yesterday by President of the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG), Colin Boyce at a press briefing at Olympic House.
According to Boyce, attendance has been confirmed for one female from Grenada, a male and a female each from Suriname and Brazil, and two males and two females from Trinidad and Tobago, while confirmation on participation is still anticipated from Venezuela, St Lucia and St Vincent.
However, the names of these overseas athletes have not yet been determined.
The road race will begin and end at the Police Sports Club ground, Eve Leary.
Leaving Eve Leary the race will proceed east along Barrack Street and turn south on Camp Street, then west into Lamaha Street, north along High Street, back east along the Seawall Road, and south along Camp Street before moving along Carifesta Avenue to proceed onto the Rupert Craig Highway on the northern carriageway and turning by Conversation Tree to head back to the Police Sports Club ground.
The road race is scheduled to be followed by the customary second leg in Suriname on October 30, and then the final event in Panama.
While host countries are allowed any number of participants, visiting countries are afforded on average one male and one female to participate.
In the past special arrangements have been made to this rule.
And having had a male participant in the third leg for the first time last year, Boyce said this year the association was eagerly looking into having a female representative at the final event in Panama, funds permitting.
Boyce said that after Guyana’s Cleveland Forde had won the first two races in Guyana and Suriname last year, they saw it only fair to extend him the opportunity to seek to dominate all three events.
“We are looking at the possibility, funding permitting, of sending the top female and top male to the third leg. Last year we sent the top male, for the first time, because he did well, and we are hoping that this year we can include the top female.
We are looking at the strong possibility of including the female winner. What we recognized last year is that after Cleveland would have won the first two rounds we wanted to give him the opportunity to go for all three races,” Boyce said.
Boyce also disclosed that tighter measures will be taken this year regarding security, particularly to avoid a repeat of what took place last year where athletes were continually trailed by supporters handing out water to the athletes, while additionally a confusing crowd of various supporters had converged at the finish.
“I was there last year and I was upset with the arrangement and that will not happen this year, it is not the same route, it’s not finishing in front of the YMCA, it’s finishing at the Police Sports Complex. And the Police will be there …”
Meanwhile AAG Tournament Director, Mark Scott stated that this year the event will feature refreshments and sponging stations at its 6km mark. These stations will be in addition to the water points that will be located at the 3km and 8km points and at the end of the race.
At this station the athletes will be given a non-stimulant energy drink that would be submitted earlier by their coaches.