Guyana’s leading distance athlete Cleveland Forde and compatriot Dennis Horatio are scheduled to depart this morning for Panama where they will represent Guyana in the third leg of the International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF) South American Athletics Confederation 10 km Road Classic that will be held on Sunday.
After finishing second in the event last year, Forde now hopes his best can prove enough to come out on top, coming off his 31:20.17s performance in the second stage.
Forde, who also won the event’s first stage held in Guyana is seeking for a historic sweep.
“I am prepared for this. I always do what I have to do and I’m going out there to do my best and I just hope that my best comes out at the top. I guess it may be a challenge but that’s what it’s all about. Most times an athlete never feels 100% ready, but I’m as prepared as normal,” Forde said
Last year Forde was beaten into second place due to a mix up as to the finishing point of the race. He maintained that he will not be repeating any mistakes made last year.
Speaking to Stabroek Sport yesterday, Forde related that last year, despite making several efforts to ascertain the route of the race in advance he was unable to do this. According to Forde, it was not until the runners were at the starting point that the starter proceeded, in Spanish, to explain the route of the race. Forde said he interpreted the finishing line a few hundred meters short of its mark.
“This time I hope it’s the same course and if it’s not I’m going to make sure I know the exact route before the race,” he added.
Horatio also has high expectations of himself. He is hoping to, at least, place in the top five if he can’t make it into to the top three.
Horatio placed fifth in the first leg with a time of 34:09s and was third place in the Suriname leg of the event.
He said he does expect Panama’s high altitude to adversely affect his performance somewhat.
“Over there has high altitude and every time I go somewhere with high altitude I always run off my personal best, over here and in the other Caribbean countries whenever I run I would better my timings. But I’ve been putting in the work with Cleveland in the mornings and hopefully I make the top five. I’m aiming to be among the top three but if not I hope to make it somewhere in the top five,” Horatio said.
President of the Athletics Association of Guyana, Colin Boyce, said that he has some high expectations of the two athletes. The pair will be travelling with secretary of the AAG, Claude Blackmore, who is the manager.
