Local distance running queen Tonya Nero ran way with the women's crown at the final leg of the North America, Central America and Caribbean (NACAC) 10K Caribbean Series in Kingstown, St Vincent, on Sunday. Nero completed the route in 38 minutes and 32 seconds, to take her second victory in the series after her win in Tobago, one week earlier.
The 24-year-old relegated Kenisha Pascall of Grenada to second just as she did last week. Pascall clocked 40:00 with Jaisa Sanchez of the Dominican Republic in third with 40:18. Sanchez was going for a fourth title after victories in the Dominican Republic (September 15), British Virgin Islands (October 15) and Antigua and Barbuda (October 28). Home-town runners Lisa Daniel (43:55) and Linda McDonald (47:44) were fourth and fifth, respectively.
St Vincent and the Grenadines leg is the fifth stage of the third annual NACAC 10K series. The fourth leg was held in St Kitts & Nevis on November 18. Denzil Ramirez had to settle for second in the men's race. The national cross-country champion was aiming for back-to-back victories after his triumph in Tobago on December 2 but Sherwin Paul was first to the line (32:22), to avenge his loss to Ramirez in the previous leg. Ramirez clocked 32:38 as Junior Ashton of St Vincent and the Grenadines took the third spot (33:55) ahead of Jose Rubiera (35:42) of Dominican Republic, the winner of the first three races of the series, and another Vincentian runner Josnel Ashton (36:15).
Nero had a busy weekend as on Saturday she finished third in the women's race in the Run Barbados 10K in Bridgetown, Barbados, in a time of 35:53. The multiple national record holder was denied the top spot by Leah Kigen of Kenya (34:46) and second-place Canadian Megan Brown (34:53). The top three ladies finished ninth, tenth and 12th, respectively, among the men.
Zara Suite-Stewart (46:06) was 10th with Wendy Shallow 12th in 47:28 and Gemma Thompson 23rd (53:32). Kigen's Kenyan teammate Silas Kisorio took the men's race in 30:58 from Matt Liosell of Canada (31.06) and Jamaica's Shawn Pitter (31:30). T&T finishers in the top 60 were Nelinho Meirez 15th in 37:46, Curtis Brereton 33rd (43.26), Louis Garraway 35th (43:35) and Winston Stewart 54th (47:00).
Suite-Stewart missed out on winning the 5K event on Sunday taking second in 21:49 as Sarah Williams (UK) took the victory in 20:54. Another T&T athlete, Salisha Julien, was 23rd (25:42). In the men's 5K run, Brereton was 28th (20:22) with Wayne Roberts in 42nd (21:48). Suite-Stewart (St Joseph Convent POS/Memphis) was also fourth in the Fun Mile on Friday in 6:01. Meirez was sixth in the men's equivalent (5:00) with Brereton in 23rd (5:37), Garraway 30th (5:46), Don David 50th (6:16) and Winston Stewart 58th (6:32).
In the half marathon, Curtis Cox placed sixth in 1:18.52 to finish behind American Richard Kessio (1:10.23), 10K runner-up Lioselle (1:10:36), Jamaicans Rupert Green (1:10.56) and Kirk Bronw (1:14.38) and locally-based Guyanese Kelvin Johnson (1:14.42). Cox's time was one his slowest in recent times and shared after the race that the 2012 season was a long one for him.
Other T&T runners placing in the top 50 were Garaway 31st (1:41.08), Christopher Silverton 32nd (1:41.18), Winston Stewart-43rd (1:44.59) and Anthony Cummings-48th (1:46.52).
