Horatio hoping to surpass Forde in 2011

By Kiev Chesney 

National Under-23 long distance champion Dennis Horatio made his New Year’s resolutions quite clear to Guyana Times International Sport yesterday, Wednesday, December 29 and at the top of his list of goals was to beat local distance running maestro Cleveland Forde. 

Horatio, who turned 22 last August, said that he was very pleased with the strides that he had made in track and field this past year and that has fueled him to set his sights on even higher goals in 2011. 

“I had a pretty good year; I got a lot of experience from running in Colombia and Panama and I did well right here at home too,” Horatio said. 

With the newly gained confidence from running overseas, Horatio said, “I want to keep improving and one thing that I have to do is beat Cleveland Forde.” 

Horatio dominated at the National U-23 championships, winning the 800m, 1500m and 5000m races and was selected to represent Guyana at the South American Games in Medellin, Colombia, in March. Although he barely managed to place eighth in the 1500m and ninth in the 5000m, Horatio said the exposure was very beneficial to him. 

After enlisting in the Guyana Police Force (GPF) earlier in the year, Horatio represented Headquarters (HQ) with distinction, winning his events and contributing vital points to help HQ retain their divisional title. Horatio glistened once again at the Inter-Services Athletics Championships with a gutsy run to win the 5000m ahead of reigning champion Wilbert Mingo of the GDF.  Horatio also secured two top five finishes in the first two stages of the South American (SA) 10km in Guyana and Suriname respectively. 

Forde, who now holds both Guyana’s national 5000m and 1500 records, also captured a bronze medal at the Central American and Caribbean Sport Organisation (CACSO) Games in Puerto Rico. Forde won two of the three stages of the SA 10km Classic, and was the first Caribbean finisher in the Run Barbados 10k race. After benefiting from an Olympic Solidarity Scholarship, Forde trained in Kenya for about three years. Now 25 years old, Forde had already set Guyana’s national 5000m record (14:07.08s) and captured gold at the South American Under-23 championship at Horatio’s age. 

But while Forde was in Kenya and Horatio and other long distance athletes were aspiring to follow in his footsteps, the journey proved to be a tough one, especially for Horatio. At the peak of his junior career Horatio was shortlisted to compete at the 2006 Junior CARIFTA Games in Turks and Caicos, but the athletics fraternity failed to provide the requisite funding for him to attend. Horatio subsequently missed out on the opportunity to compete at the event where his idol, Forde had joined elite company as one of the few athletes to win the 5000m at that regional event for three straight years. 

 After that disappointment, Horatio’s strides of improvement became baby steps and now he has a long way to go to before he catches Forde, since his personal best times are much slower. Horatio has not yet broken the four minute barrier in the 1500m while Forde’s 1500m PR is 3:44.23s. 

Horatio, who was voted Athlete-of-the- Year by his track club, also has about two minutes to shave off his 5000m time to be on par with Forde. He also hopes to participate in the 2011 Pan American Games wants to use that as motivation to get better.