Guyana’s Ex-Athletes Association and Friends Inc. will host a relay festival, along with a 5k and 10k road this weekend.
The fifth edition of the event will see the relay festival on Saturday (May 22) at the National Track and Field Facility at Leonora, while the road races will occur on Sunday (May 23) along the Carifesta Avenue–Rupert Craig Highway corridor.
Both the 5k and 10k will start and end in front of the Ministry of Education ground on Carifesta Avenue, but the 10k will turn at the University of Guyana entrance on the Rupert Craig Highway, while the 5k participants will turn at Conversation Tree.
Meanwhile, 10 relay teams have registered thus far and Vice-President of the Association, Kenrick Smith, said the relays will bring greater excitement than before.
Smith’s pronouncement is based on the five new events added to the programme, some of which are the 4x200m, 200m Open race and a Masters 100m.
Additionally, there will be a two-person relay that will see one male and female, per team, run two 200m and two 400m legs, which will be a first in Guyana, according to Smith.
The relays will be contested across the Under-17, Under-20 and Open categories; those in the Open will receive cash prizes, while age group competitors will be rewarded with medals.
President of the Association, Burgette Williams-Forde, said the organisation is concentrating on the junior athletes, hence the expansion of their reward structure.
Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) President, Aubrey Hutson, said the AAG is happy to continue the partnership since it aids in the development of athletes, but they must follow the necessary COVID-19 protocols.
Hutson further indicated the relay festival is key since they are working towards building a national relay team to compete at international events.
The organisers appealed to the AAG to extend the registration period given the late notice.
