3,000 expected at Savannah for 5K Run

An estimated 3,000 local and foreign participants will challenge for the 5K run, which will formally open proceedings at the 30th annual two-day Kiss T&T International Marathon (TTIM), which runs off at the top of Woodford St, Queen’s Park Savannah (QPS), Port-of-Spain, from 4 pm.

The race will finish at White Hall, QPS, followed by an awards ceremony at the venue from 5.45 pm.

Schedule of events
Today
Foreign athlete’s tour of marathon course, 10 am
Schools one-lap relay, 3 pm
Aerobic warm-up, 3.30 pm
5K run, 4 pm
Awards for overall 5k winners, 5.45 pm

Tomorrow
Marathon start (early runners), St Mary’s Junction, 3.30 am
Marathon start (official), St Mary’s Junction, 5 am
Half-marathon start, Caroni, 5.45 am
Approximate arrival of marathon winner, QPS, 7.15 am
Awards for marathon winners, QPS, 9.30 am
Race course closed, 11:30 am

A tour of the course for the foreign athletes will take place at the venue for the close of the race, the QPS, from 10 am, followed five hours later with the Schools One-Lap Relay, which will also start and end at the same locations.

Today’s events will run up to tomorrow’s highly anticipated main event, which will begin at 3.30 am for the early runners, followed by the official start of the race, which is set for 5 am.

At least three former champions, including six-time women’s winner Mary Akor of the United States who arrived on Thursday, are set to take to the starting line, St Mary’s Junction, Freeport. Popular men’s winner of 2006 and 2011, Kenyans Hilary Lelai and Paul Wachira, are just some of the other champions to challenge for the top-prize purse of US$3,600.

While local runners are expected to face a stern test in the foreign delegation, a special incentive of $6,000 will be offered to any T&T male or female who breaks the national record, or rewrites the fastest time posted by a national in previous local marathons. Title sponsor Kiss Baking Company has also offered US$1,000 to up to three local men and women (16 to 29 years), who can manage to finish the race in under two hours 50 minutes and three hours 15 minutes, respectively.

The prizes offered in the seven age divisions (16-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69 and 70 and over) is set at TT$1,000, $800 and $500 for finishers in the first, second and third places.

The winner of the main event is expected to arrive at the finishing line at or around 7.15 am.

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