Guyana’s Cleveland Forde and Trinidad’s Tonya Nero on Sunday won the male and female categories respectively of the South American 10K road race.
Forde, the defending champion, clocked the fastest 10K time this year, 32:27.39s in winning the event which started outside the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph station on Carifesta Avenue and ended in the National Park.
Second place went to Trinidad’s Richard Jones who clocked 32:39.21s.
Cleveland Thomas 32:56.25s finished third, overseas-based Guyanese Kelvin Johnson, fourth, in 33:21.28s while Nathaniel Giddings finished fifth with a time of 33:24.43s.
Trinidad’s Tonya Nero maintained her good start before eventually going on to win the female event with a time of 37:35.46s.
United States of America-based Guyanese Euleen Josiah-Tanner clocked 37:39.18s for second place while Alika Morgan finished third in 40:05.39s, outrunning Andrea Foster who finished fourth in 40:22.68s. Jenelle Nedd of Trinidad took fifth in 41:21.89s.
The junior male category was won by Matthew McKenzie who clocked 35:29.68s for the win, bettering his brother Carl McKenzie, who clocked 36:25.28s for second.
Leon Benjamin was third in a time of 39:22.46s. Mariah McKenzie won the female junior category in 43:13.96s while Shontel Hinds placed second in 45:06.89s. Cassie Kirton finished third in 48:56.39s.
Another veteran female runner in Alisha Fortune won the women masters category in a time of 50:16.28s. Fortune finished ahead of Cyrleen Phillips who clocked 50:24.89s for second with Carla Benjamin, 50:44.25s, third.
The men 40-55 masters category was won by Ian Archibald who clocked 37:12.86s while Ravi Purohit won the men masters 56 years and over category in a time of 46:13.31s.
At the presentation ceremony held immediately after the race, the athletes received trophies and prizes and were congratulated by the President of the Athletics Association of Guyana, Aubrey Hutson.
