FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Spectacular Showdown forecasted at Run Barbados
Many will remember the epic finish to the Colombian Emeralds Int'l 10k last
December. Canadian Olympians Natasha Wodak and Lanni Marchant slowed down
as they approached the Finish to hold hands and raise their arms in
celebration, only to have Trinidad's Tonya Nero go by in an all-out sprint
to beat them across the line by a step. The clip went viral with more than
13.6 million views and even made Sports Illustrated. Alan Brookes of
Canada Running Series says Wodak and Marchant will be racing for
retribution in the 2017 10k scheduled for December 2 at 4:45pm.
Nero, fresh from a six month training stint in Witchita, USA will race the
10K and then the following morning will line up for the Fortress Half
Marathon. She was second in the Half in 2016 behind Wodak of Canada. Nero
won the Plaza 10K in Kansas City in September in a time of 33:56 while
Wodak's most recent 10K was a third place in 34:32 at Vancouver's Eastside
race in September, just ahead of Marchant, the other runner in the much
talked about 2016 finish, who clocked 34:37. Natasha Wodak is expected to
mount the strongest challenge to defending champion Tonya Nero of Trinidad
as Canadian Olympian Marchant has been battling illness this year. The Run
Barbados spectators may get what they are all hoping for - another
spellbinding finish by the ladies!
In the Men's 10K Jean Habarurema of France, last year's winner, is
definitely favoured to take the title again and could likely retain the
Marathon title as well. Ahead of Run Barbados Jean raced in the Martinique
Half-Marathon November 26 and ran an impressive 1:09:47 to place second.
Godfrey Mbilia of Kenya, who recently placed third in 1:11:30 in the UWI
Half in Trinidad, will run the Fortress Half Marathon for the first time
and will be a contender for that title.
The Canada Running Series team has also entered two female elite runners in
the Fortress Half Marathon and they are expected to lead the Ladies field
in that race. Scot Sarah Inglis, resides in Canada and is coached by former
marathon world record holder Steve Jones. Inglis recently won the
Victoria, BC Half-Marathon Marathon while Canadian Sasha Gollish was the
2016 Athletics Canada National Women's Cross-Country Champion and ran 71:07
at the Indianapolis Half marathon - a time that ranked her #1 in Canada at
that distance for the year. Gollish may also run the 10K this weekend. The
2016 Ladies Marathon winner Amy Chalk of the UK, a five-time winner of the
race, will return to defend her marathon title.
Runners from at least eighteen countries will line up for five running
races this coming weekend as the Caribbean's oldest running festival, Run
Barbados, celebrates its 35th year in existence. Every year, since 1983,
runners from Barbados and countries around the world of varying ages and
abilities from recreational to world class have run through the streets of
the island's capital in early December.
Run Barbados has supported many charitable causes over the years and is
currently partnered with the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Barbados. The
Ganzee 5K Walk (Sunday Dec 3) aims to raise much-needed funds as well as
increase awareness of the critical services provided by the Foundation.
Together with title sponsor the Cave Shepherd Group of Companies, Run
Barbados presents its 2017 races: Cave Shepherd Marathon, Fortress
Half-Marathon, Colombian Emeralds Int'l 10K, Cave Shepherd Visa Credit Card
5K, Ganzee 5K Walk for Charity and the Signia Fun Mile. Dec 1-3, 2017.
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