John Donaldson and Susan Russell won the male and female cross country events respectively at the Sevilla Golf Course, Couva, as action in the CariFin Games continued on June 8.
Donaldson, representing First Citizens, completed the 2.2km three-lap event in 30 minutes, 45 seconds to claim his second cross country title. The first time Donaldson won was in 2011 in 28:40, representing Grace Kennedy. Guardian Group's Rashad Blenman crossed the finish line in 31.16, followed by the walking sensation that is also part of First Citizens, Deodath Harrikissoon, taking third place in 32.08.
After the race, Donaldson said he tried to stick to the game plan. He said, "I ran the race according to my planned strategy of starting aggressively and attempting to open up some distance between myself and the rest of the field to avoid being 'out-sprinted' at the end, by my younger and faster competitors, as in the Urban Challenge races."
In the female category, Susan Russell of RBC did not have as much competition on the day as she lead the race from start to finish, posting a time of 27.48 to take her first cross country title since she began competing in 2006. Russell was followed by the Sagicor duo of Simone Balkissoon and Danielle Cazabon in 29.40 and 29.58, respectively. It was the first time the Sagicor pair took part in the event.
The CariFin committee is looking forward to continuing a great relationship with its sponsors and all of the participants, as it continues to be the driving force in maintaining a healthy lifestyle in an enjoyable way. The next CariFin event will be a boat cruise on July 5.
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