Courts Furniture Store Guyana Inc. will reintroduce its Courts 10 kilometers road race in collaboration with the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) on September 18, starting in front of the furniture store’s main office on Main Street from 06:00hrs.
According to Marketing Assistant of Courts, Kester Abrams, at the launching of the event at Olympic House, Courts is enthusiastic to be associated with the event again because they see it as beneficial not only to the athletes but to the general public as well since this can help increase healthy living.
“Well we were happy when the AAG approached us about it and we immediately jumped on the opportunity to restart it. We at Courts believe in sports because we have supported the same event over the years and we see this as an opportunity to contribute to our community and to promote healthy living.
“We don’t just want to run a 10k but also a shorter version that the public can come out and participate in the event as well,” Abrams stated during the press conference.
The race, which was previously a consistent event in the 1990s but went on 12 years of dormancy, according to senior vice president of the AAG, Cornell Rose, will stage four categories – namely the male and female open and the veteran male and female categories.
The event will also be a lucrative one as the first top five finishers in both the male and female open categories will receive a trophy along with $100,000, $80,000, $60,000, $40,000 and $20,000 from first to fifth respectively while for the male and female veterans the first three finishers in both male and female categories will receive $60,000, $40,000 and $20,000 along with a trophy from first to third respectively.
The race will start in front of Courts on Main Street and proceed north along Main Street to the Seawall Road, continuing east along the Seawall Road to Church Street, Subryanville, then the athletes will cross the curb at Church Street and turn west along the Kitty Public Road and proceed south into Vlissengen into Lamaha Street and journey west to Main Street, continuing to the Bank of Guyana where the athletes will make the final turn before finishing in front of Courts.
Stabroek Sport questioned Abrams about the 12-year break in the event which was described as one of the biggest road races in Guyana.
“Well I think it was just a case where the AAG did not approach us about the event but I guarantee that the race will be an annual event from now on and that such a break will not occur again,” Abrams stated.
Both Rose and Abrams also agreed to look at the possibility of making the event a regional one from next year while they hope to turn it into an international event in the near future.
The race is expected to attract the likes of 1500 and 5000 metres national record holder Cleveland Forde and distance queen Alika Morgan.
Rose pointed out that any athlete found taking water from stands other than the ones marked by the Courts sign will be disqualified.
Rose also cautioned those athletes who may want to have persons pacing them on bicycles at various road racing events.
“We don’t want those persons that like to pace their athletes doing such at this event. We will have the police on hand and if they are caught that can result in the disqualification of the athlete. We want a fair race, especially if we are to make it a regional or international event,” the vice president stated.
Registration forms will be available at Olympic House and registration will close on September 14. No late entries will be accepted, Rose maintained.
