Guyana’s premier distance athletes, Cleveland ‘Little Kenyan’ Forde and Alika Morgan, finished in the top six of the annual Powerade Run Barbados 10km and half marathon events which ran off in Bridgetown over the weekend.
Forde, 28, placed fourth in the 10km road race which started at Bay Street to Spring Garden and back, clocking 32 minutes and 26 seconds and fifth in the half marathon. The ‘Little Kenyan’ completed the 13-mile event from Bay Street to Paynes Bay and back in one hour, 13 minutes and 22 seconds.
The 23-year old Morgan ran in fifth in the 10km event which was staged Saturday afternoon in a time of 42 minutes and six-seconds. Morgan was the fifth runner up on Sunday morning in the half marathon. She covered the distance in one hour, 41 minutes and six-seconds.
Morgan told this publication yesterday that the races were the last for her season which completed a brutal four-week stretch of competition encompassing the South American 10km event here and in Suriname and the Suriname marathon.
The local distance queen also thanked some of her sponsors (PM Samuel Hinds, Roger Luncheon, Cummings Electrical, Payless Store, Steve’s Electrical) and mentioned that she hopes the National Sports Commission has taken note of her outstanding performances throughout 2013.
Meanwhile, Kenya born, Richard Kessio who now represents Canada won both events over the weekend as did American, Jess Draskau-Peterson on the distaff side.
In the 10km race, Kessio clocked 31 minutes, 18 seconds, finishing ahead of countryman, Silas Kisorio (31:25) and Jamaican, Shawn Pitter (31:40) who eventually crossed the line third, while Forde (32:26), Brown (32:30) and Jamaican Rupert Green (33:36) were fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively.
Draskau-Peterson, 36, unseated reigning women’s champion, Leah Kigen by finishing seventh overall in 34:19 – more than a minute ahead of the second-placed Kenyan (35:46).Trinidad and Tobago’s, Tonya Nero and Jamaican, Arita Martin finished third and fourth.
Kessio completed the 13-mile run in one hour, nine minutes and four-seconds while Draskau-Peterson won in one hour, 19 minutes and 22 seconds. (Emmerson Campbell)
