Elite talent set to compete at 10th Independence Track Meet

Some of Guyana’s finest athletic talent is set for a massive weekend of competition as the 10th annual Independence Road Race and Track Meet takes centre stage, fuelled by a renewed partnership between the overseas-based organisation Guyana Ex-Athletes and Friends Inc. and the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG).

The action begins on Saturday morning at the National Track and Field Facility in Leonora, where a stellar field of local and international stars will lock horns in front of an expectant home crowd.

The spotlight will shine brightest on Carifta Games 800m gold medallist Olivia Solomon, who headlines a stacked roster.

Solomon will be joined by a hungry contingent of athletes fresh from representing Guyana at the South American Games in Panama, as well as several senior standouts returning home from competitive collegiate scholarships in the United States and Jamaica.

AAG Vice-President Mark Scott has urged the public to turn out in numbers to support the nation’s premier track and field competitors.

“We have heats in the 100 and 200 for the 18 and over athletes; all other age groups, U-12, U-15 and U-18, are timed finals,” Scott explained.

“I want to encourage the general public to come out and support good track and field. We have our Carifta medallist, Ms Olivia Solomon, in the 800 metres; she will be on show. Also, we have the athletes that went to the South American Games in Panama, and then our senior athletes returning from scholarships in the USA and Jamaica.”

The high-profile weekend has also drawn the attention of prominent sports agent Cubi Seegobin, the mastermind behind the AAG’s lucrative Adidas sponsorship deal. Seegobin, who is attending a Guyanese meet in person for the very first time, is eager to scout the local pipeline.

“I’m looking forward to going to the meet and seeing the young talent,” Seegobin said. “It is my first time seeing a meet in Guyana, so it should be an experience. I’ve seen tapes of meets, but this will give me first-hand knowledge so I can make some suggestions on how we can better put together meets moving forward.”

On the track, senior competitors in the 18-and-over bracket will battle over the 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, and 1500m events, alongside specialised 2x200m and 2x400m relays. The field events will feature intense competition in the long jump and javelin.

The excitement shifts gears on Sunday, May 24, as the road racing segment anchors itself into Guyana’s Diamond Jubilee Republic celebrations.

Organised in collaboration with Burgette Williams Forde and heavily backed by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, the road events have undergone a major structural revamp.

Unlike previous editions, Sunday’s road races will both start and finish at the Guyana Police Force Ground, Eve Leary.

Registration has been declared completely free for all participants, with organisers guaranteeing that every single runner who crosses the finish line will receive a commemorative medal.

The day’s schedule splits into two distinct sessions:

• 14:00 (2:00 PM): The junior categories take to the pavement. The 1-mile road races will feature fierce competition across the Under-9 and Under-12 brackets.
• 16:00 (4:00 PM): The elite seniors and masters athletes take over the asphalt for the highly anticipated 5K and 10K road races.

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