The fifth edition of the Guyana’s Ex-Athletes Association and Friends Inc. relay festival and road races will be staged this weekend.
The details of the fixture were announced during the formal launch yesterday at the National Resource Centre.
The relay festival will be staged tomorrow from 14:00hrs at the National Track and Field Centre, while the road races will be held on Sunday along the CARIFESTA Avenue/Rupert Craig Highway corridor.
Both the 5k and 10k race will start and end in front of the Ministry of Education ground on Carifesta Avenue, but the 10k will turn around at the University of Guyana entrance on the Rupert Craig Highway while the 5k participants turn at Conversation tree. Starting time is 7:00hrs.
Meanwhile, 10 relay teams have registered thus far and Vice-President of the Association, Kenrick Smith said the relays will bring greater excitement than before.
Smith’s pronouncement is based on the five new events added to the programme, some of which are the 4x200m, 200m open race and a Masters 100m.
Additionally, there will be a two-person relay that will see one male and female, per team, run two 200m and two 400m legs, which will be a first in Guyana according to Smith.
The relays will be contested across the Under-17, Under-20, and Open categories; the latter will receive cash prizes while the former will be rewarded with medals. President of the Association, Burgette Williams-Forde said the organisation is concentrating on its junior athletes and it the reason the reward structure has been expanded.
And Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) President, Aubrey Hutson, said the AAG is happy to continue the partnership since it aids in the development of athletes, but the necessary COVID protocols must be followed. Hutson further indicated the relay festival is key since they are working towards building a national relay team to compete at international events. The organisers have appealed to the AAG to extend the registration period given the late notice.
