Whenever the calendar flips to November, long distance runners fine tune their training to compete in the lucrative South American 10k road race.
This year will be no different.
The 20th edition of the fixture is set to run off at 15:30hrs on November 6.
What will be different however, is the route that will be taken.
These and other details were disclosed yesterday at the National Resource Centre during the formal launch of the event.
According to President of the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) Aubrey Hutson, in keeping with the formula of World Athletics, this year’s race will see the runners going against the traffic.
The event will start at Montrose, East Coast Demerara and finish in the National Park near the gym’s entrance.
Hutson reasoned that the change will make the event more marketable and minimize traffic incursion.
“The course will be locked down and we won’t have any bicycles or buses dodging around our athletes,” he said.
Traditionally, the event ran off from the GTT Earth Station on CARIFESTA Avenue, proceeded to the UG road and finished inside the National Park near the Children’s Monument.
Hutson disclosed that he expects in excess of 200 athletes from South America, the Caribbean and of course Guyana competing for spoils at the event which has a budget in the neighborhood of $US60, 000.
US$1000 will be awarded to the top senior finishers in the men and women’s categories. As an added incentive, the winner of those races will also receive a medal made of Guyana’s famous gold.
The first, second, third and fourth-placed runners-up, will pocket $US600, $400, $US300 and US$200 along with trophies respectively.
Junior athletes (16-20 years) as well as Masters (Women 35+),
Men (40-55) and (56 and above) will also take home trophies and cash prizes.
The top four juniors will receive vouchers or grants valued at US$100, US$75, US$50 and US$25 while the top four Masters (Women 35+), and Men (40-55) will run off with GY$20,000 GY$12,000 and GY$8,000 respectively. Masters (56 and above) top three finishers will collect G$15,000, G$1,000 and G$5,000 in that order.
Hutson added that he plans to engage the public and private sector along with the government for support in order to make the 20th edition of the calendar event a ‘special one.’ (Emmerson Campbell)
