Roosevelt Skerrit, Prime Minister of Dominica and then Chair of Caribbean Community CARICOM (centre, left), stands with the 16th CARICOM Road Races winners Nicholas Romany and Attoya Harvey (centre), officials of the government of Trinidad and Tobago, the CARICOM secretary general (right) and other senior CARICOM officials and athletes.
GEORGETOWN, Guyana--Professional and amateur athletes from the Caribbean will compete in the Eighteenth CARICOM Road Races on Saturday, July 5, in Montego Bay, Jamaica, according to a press release from the Caribbean Community CARICOM Secretariat.
The Open 10-kilometre (10K) run, 5K run and 5K walk will start at the Montego Bay Convention Centre, Rose Hall, St. James, at 6:30am Eastern Standard Time (EST). This activity is one of the parallel events of the upcoming 49th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM, convened under the chairmanship of Dr. Andrew Holness, Prime Minister of Jamaica, the release states.
CARICOM Secretary General Dr. Carla Barnett emphasised the importance of the Races to the Region’s approach to addressing non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
“On Saturday, 5 July, the Region’s well-known athletic prowess will be on display … this annual event is part of regional efforts to highlight the importance of physical exercise to good health and quality of life,” stated Dr. Barnett.
"The CARICOM Races reflect Member States’ commitment to leverage the integration movement to foster a culture of health and wellness across the Region. By prioritising nutritious food and regular exercise, we can come together to combat the growing challenge of NCDs and build a stronger, healthier Caribbean,” shared Davion Leslie, Programme Manager for Human Resource Development at the CARICOM Secretariat.
The first-place winner of the Open 10K Race will receive US $1,000, while the second- and third-place winners will receive US $500 and US $250, respectively. Athletes participating in the 10K Race will also compete for the CARICOM Chairman’s Trophy – Male and the CARICOM Secretary General’s Trophy – Female, according to the release.
Hurricane Beryl’s passage through Grenada in 2024 resulted in the cancellation of the 17th CARICOM Road Races.
In 2023, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago claimed top prizes at the 16th CARICOM Road Races – 10K. Guyanese Attoya Harvey claimed first prize in the Overall Female category and the CARICOM Secretary General’s Trophy, while Samantha Shikla (Trinidad and Tobago) and Laura Lynn Limery (St. Lucia) won second and third prizes, respectively.
Trinidad and Tobago dominated the top three positions in the Overall Male category, with popular athlete Nicholas Romany winning the CARICOM Chairman’s Trophy and Donnel Francis and Tafari Waldron capturing the second and third prizes, respectively, the release concludes.
