media_artricles :: 2015

Nero ready for UWI Int’l Half Marathon challenge

Tonya Nero will carry the flag for T&T today at the UWI Spec International Half Marathon among the women and veteran Curtis Cox has thrown his hat in the ring for the top prize among the men.

Nero, who only just returned home from the Guadeloupe 10k in which she placed second in a time of 36 minutes and 51 seconds, said she was ready for the race. However she will have the race of her life today if she is to deliver on her promise and return gold medal for T&T with a strong contingent of foreign runners expected.

In Nero’s absence last year, Kenya’s Caroline Kiptoo claimed the top spot ahead of Cruz Nonata Da Silva of Brazil in second and Lineita Madeus Rojas of Colombia in third position. These runners will again face the starter’s gun in the 13.1 kilometres drive that will take the runners from the UWI St Augustine Campus to La Resource junction and back on the priority bus route.

Nero said recently she had stepped up her preparation for the race and was ready for the challenge from the international runners. “I just want to run my race today. I am going kick out really hard at the start and stay with the lead runners and then go for it at the end,” Nero said.

She will lead a large contingent of T&T women who will be aiming for the US$2,000 winner’s prize. She is expected to be joined by Samantha Shukla, Wendy Ann Marie Shallow and Celine Lestrade among others.

Among the men, Brazil’s Chavez Da Silva is back to defend the title he won last year and he will face his toughest challenge from Kenyan Kenneth Rotich, the winner of the recent Air Bon Sonics 5k, Butler Classic and TTARP 10k, as well as Richer Perez of Cuba, Ruper Green and Kirk Brown of Jamaica and veteran T&T’s runner Curtis Cox.

Guyana’s Lionel Dandrade and Kevin Johnson have also booked their places for the biggest and best half marathon in the Caribbean but both will be using today’s run to prepare for the Suriname marathon in a few months time.

T&T will miss out on not having Richard Jones in the race, as he has been attempting to recover from a slip disk in his back for the past year. Jones told the Guardian yesterday that he would not run until he was 100 per cent fit because he wanted to perform at his best.

Jones however will be represented by a team of young runners he has been coaching that goes by the name of “Richard Jones Racing”. Some 1,200 runners will compete today as the race will celebrate its 12th anniversary.

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