St. Vincent and the Grenadines swept the Male and Female categories in the 14th CARICOM 10-K road race in Saint Lucia, Sunday, with female runner Linda McDowald recording a hattrick of victories in the event.
Mc Dowald crossed the finish line in 40.40 to add to earlier victories in the 12th and 13th editions, held in Guyana and Jamaica respectively. She also placed second in the 11th edition in Barbados, behind Guyanese Andrea Foster.
The second and third placed runners were also a repeat of last year, with Grenada’s Kenisha Pascal crossing in 41.32 and Carlie Pipe of Barbados in 41.39.
In the male category, the Vincentian Junior Ashton moved up from third place in last year’s race to win in 34.22, ahead of Kalique St. Jean of Antigua and Barbuda in 35.05 and Justin Hodge on Anguilla in 35.09.
Dominica, Jamaica, Suriname, Anguilla and host Saint Lucia also competed.
In a supporting 5-K race for students, Tarrick Xavier of the Vieux Fort Comprehensive and Micol Popote of the Gros Islet Secondary took the top male positions, and Zadie St. Louis of Vieux Fort Comprehensive and Laurat-Lynn Limery of the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College the female.
The event was witnessed by CARICOM Secretary-General Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, who was joined for the presentation of prizes by his Assistant Secretary-General, Human and Social Development, Dr Douglas Slater, Saint Lucia’s Ambassador to CARICOM Elma-Gene Isaac, Sports Director Patrick Mathurin, and Saint Lucia’s CARICOM Youth Ambassadors (CYAs).
The CARICOM 10-K is held annually around the July Meetings of CARICOM Heads of Government, aimed at fostering people to people relations while also promoting healthy living. Saint Lucia will host this year’s Heads of Government Meeting on the 4 – 5 July at the Sandals Grande Resort, with an Opening Ceremony scheduled for Wednesday 3 July at the Royalton Saint Lucia Resort.
