The 10th edition of Guyana’s most anticipated long distance event, the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) South American 10km Classic Road will begin this month with the first stage to be held in Guyana on October 21.
The event is expected to be launched tomorrow at Olympic House and will feature a few differences in this year’s edition. Originally, the event was created by the South American Athletics Confederation (CONSUDATLE), to be hosted by the countries in South America without a synthetic track. This usually meant that Guyana, Suriname and Panama would each stage a leg of the competition.
However, since Suriname has been banned by the world governing track and field body, the IAAF, they will not be able to host their leg of the competition. Consequently, the race will only be held in Panama and Guyana in this its 10th edition. The Panama leg of the race is scheduled to be held on November 10.
General Secretary of the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) Claude Blackmore, who was the AAG president when the event was inaugurated in 2002, told Stabroek Sport that there are no added features to commemorate the 10th edition of the race. However, Blackmore said that the suggestion was worth considering by the fraternity over the next week.
The course and prize money for this year’s event however, remains the same as last year.
Competitors will start by completing one lap around the Police Sports Club ground, Eve Leary, before exiting the Eastern gate into Military Road and proceeding south along Camp Street. Racers will then head west along Lamaha, then North along High street, before heading east along the Seawall Road straight into the convergence by the Rupert Craig Highway’s Northern Carriageway. Competitors will continue along the Rupert Craig Highway’s Northern Carriageway until reaching the turnaround point at Conversation Tree. For the return journey, athletes will use the Southern Carriageway of the Rupert Craig Highway into the Kitty Public Road, before heading South on Vlissengen Road and West onto Thomas Lands. For the few hundred metres of the race competitors will have to head South on Camp Street, then East on Military Road before entering the first gate of the back into the Police Sports Club ground to complete three-quarters of a lap and cross the finish line in front of the pavilion.
Last year’s open male category was won by national long distance champion Cleveland Forde in 32 minutes, 39 seconds (32:39s). Forde already has two 10km victories (Courts 10km and Ainlim 10km) over the past two months. Brazilian Elesio DaSilva (32:53) finished second while Trinidadians Curtis Cox (32:58) and Richard Jones (33:24) took third and fourth respectively. Trinidad-based Guyanese Kelvin Johnson (33:38) placed fifth. Promising junior campaigner Nathaniel Giddings (36:01) placed eighth overall but won the junior category.
The female category was won by Brazilian Antonia DaSilva (38:26) while Guyanese Euleen Josiah (39:57) placed second and Trinidad and Tobago’s Ayana Lestrade (40:56) finished third. The prize incentives for the male and female open category are US$1000 for first place, US$600 for second place US$400 for third place, US$300 for fourth place and US$200 for fifth place.
