media_artricles :: 2016

Hagley bids to repea

In-form Nero, Cox out Cross Country Champs

Matthew Hagley will bid to repeat as National Association of Athletics Administrations (NAAA) Cross Country Championship men's champion, at the Queen's Park Savannah, today. However, the 2016 women's winner, Tonya Nero, is competing in Barbados this weekend, and will not defend her title.

Also missing from today's line-up will be Curtis Cox, who also made the trip for the Run Barbados Marathon Weekend.

Nero and Cox are the in-form T&T distance runners, having triumphed in the third and final leg of the South American 10K Classic, in Guyana, a fortnight ago. Cox won the men's race in 32 minutes, 48 seconds, while Nero topped the women's field in 36:14.

At last year's Cross Country Championships, Hagley was actually the second man to cross the finish line. However, he was crowned national champion since the man who beat him, Kelvin Johnson is Guyanese. Cox was third overall in that race.

Among the T&T runners expected to challenge Hagley this afternoon are Collin Pereira, Shirvan Baboolal, George Smith and Jules La Rode.

The men's 10K race is scheduled to start at 3.50 p.m. Runners will start opposite Queen's Royal College, run through the Hollows, continue to the area opposite President's House, and then return to the start. For the men's race, the two-kilometre loop will be completed five times.

In Nero's absence, Samantha Shukla assumes the favourite's mantle for the women's 8K, which is scheduled to start at 3.10. The under-20 and under-18 boys will run the same distance and at the same time.

The first event, a 2K race for under-12s, gets going at 2 p.m., and will be followed by the boys' and girls' 12-15 4K at 2.15. The under-20 and under-18 girls 6K starts at 2.40.

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