Defending champions Alex Ekesa of Kenya, and Felix Herimiarintsoa of Martinique successfully retained their marathon titles when the 2022 edition of the Run Barbados Weekend concluded yesterday at Barclays Park.
The respective performances can only be described as dominant as the two athletes were practically competing against the clock in the event which was last staged in 2019 as they led their corresponding divisions from start to finish.
Although no Guyanese featured in the prestigious championship, a total of 53 starters (40 men/13 women) featured in the marathon, though 51 were effectively competing for second place in their respective divisions given the stellar performances of Ekesa and Herimiarintsoa.
The incessant rumbling of the Caribbean Sea, which served as a backdrop of the race, was a picturesque scene, and a hive of activity was the reality of the venue since 5:00 am, which was 30 minutes before the start of the championship.
Underfoot, the natural gradient of the land certainly added to the difficulty of the grueling trek, although the pristine sunlight, clear skies and cool breeze which was strafing inwards afforded optimal weather conditions for the competitors.
Ekesa capitalized on the settings as he seized control of the contest after the first 400 meters by utilizing his long strides with machine-like efficiency.
Buoyed by the scores of spectators who littered the route, and who boisterously cheered on the runners at every interval and sight, Ekesa extended his advantage with every minute and virtually sealed the result before the halfway mark.
Such was his dominance and overall control in a competitive environment that Ekesa finished approximately 26 minutes ahead of his nearest challenger Yusheng Ni (3:00:06) with a time of 2:34:05. Eventual third-place finisher Alex Cawthorne was an additional 13 minutes behind at 3:13:53.
Even more dominant was the diminutive Herimiarintsoa.
The Martinique native seemed more measured in her movement, following a slow start, and eventually seized control after the 1000-metre mark.
By the halfway point, Herimiarintsoa was in complete control of her division and seemed to be competing against the male runners.
Clearly, in a class above the rest, Herimiarintsoa stopped the clock at an impressive time of 2:54:29, a time which was second overall to Ekesa in a truly mind-boggling effort, as her nearest female challengers finished in excess of more than two hours after in the form of Elisabeth Felicie-Dellan and Karen Samuel on 5:11:27 and 5:12:31 respectively.
Meanwhile, in the Half Marathon which comprised 229 entrants (130 Men/99 Women), Joshua Hunte and Colombian Cecilia Mobuchon emerged victorious in the Men’s and Women’s divisions respectively with times of 1:16:16 and 1:17:33.
Securing the silver and bronze medals for the Men’s division were Tony Auster and Elvis Turner, who stopped the clock at 1:16:36 and 1:18:22 respectively.
Rounding out the top three positions in the Women’s section were Selma Nordifarden and Shardie Mahabir with times of 1:35:29 and 1:37:34 apiece.
In the 7K race which featured 92 participants (51 men/41 women), Shamel Maynard won the men’s Section with a time of 25:48, while Carlie Robinson copped the Women’s title, stopping the clock at 28:25.
Finishing in second and third place in the Men’s zone were Paul Freary and Michael Stuart with a time of 26:09, and 27:48 respectively. Similarly, Darcy Alexander and Katherine Patry ended in the silver and bronze medal positions respectively with times of 30:57 and 31:37 in the Women’s zone.
Meanwhile, Barbados Trade Marketing Incorporated’s (BMTI) Corey Garrett, who was the coordinator of the event, stated that the objective was to maintain the brand and continuity of “what is essentially the largest marathon in the Caribbean”, adding that the minor issues which have hindered the event were analyzed, and the concern of “traffic congestion was noted as the primary bugbear by runners”.
He disclosed that the choice of Barbados’s East Coast was taken as an attempt to alleviate that issue, noting that the aesthetics of the environment provided an ideal backdrop for the event, and is comparable to other international marathons of similar flavour.
“The tangibles of the event are built into the physical aspects of the event”, Garrett explained, adding that additional enhancements will be conceptualized and implemented for the 40th edition.
Asked if the BMTI is willing to work with other territories such as Guyana to create a similar platform, Garrett stated “We are currently in cooperation with the Government of Guyana at the Ministerial level and working with the tourism authority to create a destination project to market the two sister nations.”
He opined that the possibility of having a marathon series between the two countries is a reality that could not only be explored and envisioned but created, adding, “That’s what we are talking about and we must stand up as the Caribbean.”
