media_artricles :: 2015

Foreign runners dominate Venture 5K

CARIBBEAN-BASED Kenyan runner Kenneth Rotich and Venezuela’s Maria Osoria claimed the men’s and women’s titles in yesterday’s 16th-annual Venture Credit Union 5K Run and Fun Walk in Couva, central Trinidad. The event was staged by the credit union in collaboration with the CUNA Mutual group and the Athletics Central club .

Scores of people, including children from as young as five years braved the early morning rain to participate .

Rotich, a 24-year-old, broke the course record, covering the distance in 14 minutes, 24 seconds .

He was followed by Guyana’s Cleveland Forde (14 minutes, 57 seconds), with Cuba’s Livan Reyes taking third spot in 15 minutes, three seconds .

Defending champion Pamenos Ballantyne crossed the finish in fourth place (15:36); the veteran St Vincent and the Grenadines runner said after that he had not been feeling too well, due to injuries, but he was happy just to have come out to defend his title .

Kelvin Johnson (15:49) completed the top five in the Open category .

Maria Osoria outpaced a strong women’s field to win in a time of 17 minutes, 53 seconds. Local athlete Tonya Nero of the host Athletics Central ran a very close second (17:55), while Keneisha Pascal of Grenada (18:59) took the bronze medal. April Francis of Abilene Wildcats (19:39) and Celine Lestrade 5th (20:03) made up the women’s top five finishers .

The theme for this year’s event was “Courage, Prosperity and Performance.” Preparations for the race started from as early as were afforded a warm-up session from 6:45am. The main event started at promptly 7:00, under overcast skies outside the Couva RC Church .

Both runners and walkers headed east along the Couva Main Road and proceeded south at Isaac Junction, then west alongside the HDC housing development, and finally, north along the Southern Main Road to the finish line in front of the Venture Credit Union building on the main road. At one point, there was a light drizzle, but the rain was never heavy enough to dissuade the participants .

As an added attraction, a raffle was drawn at the prize-giving ceremony .

The first prize winners won a one-night weekend stay at the Hyatt Regency; the second prize winners got tickets to the Venture Credit Union Wine and Cheese Night, and the third prize was a One Spa Manicure from the Institute of Elegance

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