Winners of the CARICOM 10K receive trophies

CARICOM Chairman and host Prime Minister the Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas of St. Kitts and Nevis (right) presents trophy to St. Lucia’s Zepherinus Joseph, winner of the CARICOM 10K male category

BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, JULY 5TH 2011 (CUOPM) – A male Guyanese and a female St. Lucian won the respective category in the Annual CARICOM 10K Road race, staged in St. Kitts and Nevis as part of the 32nd Summit of the Caribbean Heads of Government.

Guyana, who in 2009, topped the male category in the person of Cleveland Forde, settled down to take the female category in this year’s run in the person of Euleen Josiah-Tanner.

During the closing ceremony of the Summit on Monday morning, CARICOM Chairman and host Prime Minister the Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas of St. Kitts and Nevis, presented the trophy to St. Lucia’s Zepherinus Joseph who finished with a time of 37:07.00, beating Grenada’s Sherwin Paul into second place with a time of 37:57.93.

St Vincent and the Grenadine’s Pamenos Ballantyne – who dominated the event since its inception and up to 2008 – settled for the third position with a time of 39:29.73, while Suriname’e Syveryo Siemison finished fourth in 40:18.07 secs.

His Excellency Desiré Delano Bouterse, President of the Republic of Suriname (right) presents trophy to Euleen Josiah-Tanner, winner of the CARICOM 10K female category

His Excellency Desiré Delano Bouterse, President of the Republic of Suriname and Lead Head of Government for Community Development and Cultural Cooperation including Culture, Gender Youth and Sport in the CARICOM quasi-cabinet, presented the Trophy to Guyana’s Euleen Josiah-Tanner who stamped her dominance on the female category, clocking a finish time of 43:06.52.

Grenada’s Kenisha Pascal in a time of 45:05.84 claimed the second place ahead of Guyana’s Alika Morgan, who followed closely with a time of 45:59.19. Morgan was the reigning champion in this category prior to the 2009 staging of the event. Suriname’s Ilsida Toemere finished fourth with a time of 46:09.55.

In 2009, Trinidad and Tobago’s Shermin Lasaldo won this event.

The Sixth CARICOM 10K Road race was staged under the theme, Run for life…Exercise your right and was used as a vehicle to promote physical activity in light of the Port-of-Spain Declaration in which CARICOM Member States committed to supporting actions and initiatives aimed at addressing the alarming prevalence of Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases in the Region.

Coordinated by the CARICOM Secretariat, the event was made possible by the tremendous support of corporate sponsors in St. Kitts and Nevis, namely BEAUMONT PARK Ltd., St. Kitts, Nevis and Anguilla’ National Bank, S. L. Horsford and Company Ltd, SAGICOR, Bank of Nova Scotia and LIME, Island Purified Water Ltd and David Coury and Co. Ltd.