Officials of the Athletic Association of Guyana ( AAG) on Friday launched the 8th edition of the International Association of Athletics Federation ( IAAF)/ South American Athletics Confederation (SAAC) South American 10km Classic, which will begin in Guyana later this month.
The three- stage race will commence with the traditional first stage in Guyana, on Sunday October 24, while the second stage will be held in Suriname the following Sunday. The third and final stage, which is scheduled to be held in Panama, is slated to be run off November 30.
The first stage of the event here in Guyana usually attracts athletes from Brazil, Suriname, and countries from around the Caribbean, including St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago. General Secretary of the AAG, Claude Blackmore, one of the founders of the event, said that Suriname has already indicated that a contingent of three will represent them at this year’s event.
Blackmore also said that T& T will also have a contingent of about five in this year’s first leg.
The AAG’s general secretary said that his association is yet to confirm the participation of other neighbouring territories.
The AAG officials also revealed that measures will be implemented this year to avoid some of the hiccups that occurred at last year’s event.
In the 2009 edition, supporters crowded the roadways close to the finish line, and athletes barely had a passage through a mob of spectators.
Blackmore mentioned that one such measure that his association plans to implement is the closing of the roadways that are included in the race route so that motorists and cyclists wouldnot interfere with the athletes.
The budget for this year’s race is US$ 20,000, most of which will be provided by the IAAF. That sum will also include the prize money for the top finishers.
The attractive cash incentives for first to fifth place finishers are also included in the budget. First place prize for the winner of stage one is US$ 1000, while second place will take home US$ 600; third place will pocket US$ 400; fourth place will cart off US$ 250, and fifth place will pocket US$ 150.
In the 2009 edition of the race, Cleveland Forde won the local stage, as well as Stage Two in Suriname, before placing second in the final stage. Forde was the first and only Guyanese athlete to have competed in the third stage.
The AAG has not yet discussed whether they will send any representative to the third stage this year.
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