Kingston, Jamaica; Seasoned veteran Rupert Green crossed the line ahead of a young pair of GC Foster College runners to be crowned the champion at the 3rd running of the CB Group UWI 5K on Sunday, November 16, which saw 4,000 participants. Green returned an impressive time of 15:31 ahead of Oshane Archibald, 15:51 and 2014 Intercollgiate Champs champion athlete Webster Chung who finished third with 16:13.
The race was a ding dong battle between Green and Archibald up until the final stages where Green’s race experience paid dividends and saw him separate himself from the chasing pack.
“It was a pretty good race. The course is tough with the terrain, it was difficult on the legs but I enjoyed it. I was really prepared because I am getting ready for the Reggae Marathon in December so coming into the race I have a lot of mileage under my belt in terms of training. It was my first time in this race and compared to the other courses this is one of the toughest, so it takes preparation and race smarts,” said Green.
Rupert Green crosses the finish line in 15:31 to win the CB Group UWI 5K Male Run category on November 16 at the UWI Mona Bowl |
In the female section Danielle James of GC Foster College, won with a time of 19:24 ahead of Churches Teachers’ College’s Juliett Dinnal who posted 19:32. Patricia Powell of the MICO University finished 3rd with a time of 22:48. In what was another keenly contested race, James had to show great strength to hold on to a slim lead in the closing stages ahead of the ever closing Dinnal.
“I am overwhelmed with the win. I was second last year and I was determined to improve on that this year and I am just happy to get this victory. The course it tough and it takes a lot of tactics to come out victorious, I was not fully fit as my preparations have been hampered but I used my strategy and pulled through,” said James.
In the 5K walk, Lenworth Henry secured top honours posting a time of 28:58, while Shane Pryce walked in second with 29:44 and Kenardo Phillips placed 3rd with 30:45. In the female category Karlene Blagrove walked in first with a time of 29:46 while Paula Sinclair was second with 33:34 and Latoya Walker finished 3rd with Latoya Walker.
The wheelchair race was won by Sheldon Cox in 22:29 ahead of Marcus Banton in 26:13 and Jenard Williamson who posted 32:19. The female equivalent went to Paralympian Sylvia Grant in a time of 33:09 with Cherry Whyte and Maureen Saunders coming in 2nd and 3rd with times of 40:40 and 40:41 respectively.
Steven Clunis was winner of the first officially timed children’s road race in Jamaica, the Smart Egg Kids K after finishing only one tenth of a second ahead of second place Sean Hewitt. Clunis crossed the finish line in a time of 3:02, with Hewitt posting 3:03 and Dante Jackson 3rd with a time of 3:09.
This year the CB Group UWI 5K and Smart Eggs Kids K will seek to double the number of registrants and to raise $15 million to continue funding the scholarship initiative (50 Scholarship recipients to date) as well as to finance the purchase of a Peritoneal Dialysis Cycler for the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) Dialysis Unit.