Trinidad & Tobago’s two-time national 5000m champion Nicholas Romany, Canada’s Constance Nankivell, Colombia’s Acosta Sarmiento Oscar Javier, and France’s Fanja Felix were double winners over the weekend, whilst Kenya’s Alex Ekesa tightened his grip on the marathon title with a fourth win in a row, as the 2024 SportsMax Run Barbados Marathon Weekend ended at Barclays Park in St Andrew
Romany led a Trinidad & Tobago 1-2-3 in the PwC Fun Mile, finishing in 4:29 for his second straight win at this event, just six seconds ahead of CARIFTA champion Tafari Waldron in second, and eight seconds in front of fellow countryman Donnell Francis in third.
Ekesa was fourth in 4:49, whilst Matthieu Clarke was the first local runner to cross the line a second behind the Kenyan, out of a field of 377 men.
The first woman home out of 382 was Canada’s Nankivell in 5:01, just back of the leading pack of men. She was followed by six Bajans. Carlie Robinson took second in 5:51, and 15 & under athletes occupied the next four spots – Lashay Wilkinson in 5:54, Laila Mcyntre in 5:56, Zajara Layne in 6:13, and Victori Bourne in 6:16.
Romany, 30, was also a repeat winner in the Casuarina 10k run, where he finished in 32:16, just outsprinting Ekesa and Waldron at the end to win by two seconds from the Kenyan, and by eight seconds from his compatriot. Barbados triathlon Olympian Matthew Wright ran 33:32 for fourth.
Frenchwoman Fanja Felix emerged victorious among the women for the 10K, running 38:53 to hold off Trinidad & Tobago’s Samantha Shukla (42:29) and Barbados’ Rebecca Lezama (47:23) in second and third.
In the Sleeping Giant 5K, Colombia’s Javier won in 15:35, followed home by Trindadians Donnell Francis (15:59) and Christopher Mitchell (16:04). Luke McIntyre was the first local lad across the line in 16:07.
Nankivell took her second title of the weekend in the women’s 5K, stopping the clock at 17:07. Barbados teenager McIntyre was second in 19:46, with Colombia’s Liliana Rocio Lozano third in 21:27.
The Sand Dunes Half Marathon produced gold again for Javier, winning in 1:12:25, ahead of Waldron in 1:13.33, Francis in 1:16:35, and Romany in 1:17:38, as he failed to defend just one of his three titles from 2023.
Gissel Anais of Panama won the women’s section in 1:33:46. Barbados’ Robinson got a second silver medal in 1:37:48, and a second local competitor, Katie-Iynn Parker, was third in 1:38:22.
Based in Trinidad & Tobago, where he won the RBC Run For Kids 15k earlier this year, Ekesa got his gold in the 26.2-mile run, covering the distance in 2:29:02. Second and third in the Farley Hill Marathon went to two Trinidadians, Collin Pereira in 2:45:27 and Christopher Mitchell in 2:56:09.
Fanja Felix was a winner again in the marathon, in 03:11:32, ahead of Lozano (3:46:21) and Great Britain’s Julie Seddon (3:51:53) in second and third place.
(TF)
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