wonderful FINISH TO Run Barbados Weekend

After picking up three wins in Barbados last year, Canada’s Yves Sikubwabo became the most decorated male athlete at the Run Barbados Marathon Weekend again as he wrapped up 2019 with a win in the Half Marathon. Robbed of four wins this time around by Barbadian Joshua Hunte who beat him to the line in the Fun Mile on Friday night, Sikubwabo was the first person back at the Bay Street Esplanade after the 5:00 AM start.

Blazing a trail over the 13-mile course that went along the West Coast to Prospect, the Rwandan-born runner clocked 1:13.09 hours to round out his three wins for this year. It was not an easy run for him as he was chased all the way by South Africa’s Carlo Flink who finished just 20 seconds off the pace with 1:13.30 hours.

Rob Loewen ensured Canada another podium spot when crossed the line third in 1:15.43. Barbados had a top-five finish compliments of Hunte who was good for 1:17.36, while Michael Honore of Trinidad and Tobago was fifth in 1:19.57.

Canada’s Sarah Inglis also defended her Half Marathon title from 2018 as the first woman with a time of 1:22.15, bettering her mark of 1:24.36 from last year. Her countrywoman and running partner Natasha Wodak came in right behind her on 1:22.20 hours.

Third place went to Kenyan Veronica Jepkosgei who came in almost five minutes later when she crossed the line at 1:27.03. Barbados was in the mix once again as Carlie Pipe and Emma Hutson rounded out the top-five with 1:32.43 and 1:42.18 respectively.

Traversing the course twice were the Marathon runners and after 2:30.37 hours, Alex Ekesa of Kenya comfortably crossed the line as the winner. The 37 year-old led home Jose Elmer Ararat Diaz of Colombia (2:31.06) and Bryan Morseman of the United States (2:35.49) for second and third.

The Caribbean was well represented as Kemar Leslie (Jamaica), Kamar Thomas (Antigua and Barbuda), Mark Greenidge (Barbados), Kimroy Yorke (St. Vincent and the Grenadines), Korey Gill (Barbados) and Richard Lewis (Barbados) all had top-10 finishes.

Fanja Felix, who competes under the French flag, successfully defended her title in the Marathon while bettering last year’s time of 3:06.43 (2:59.11). Colombia was second again and this time, Palmenia Raquel Agudelo Berrio stopped the clock at 3:03.40.

Canada’s Pascale Berthiaume came home in 3:17.29, while Great Britain’s Natasha Newton (3:25.35) and Trinidad and Tobago’s Sjaelan Evans (3:27.32) were fourth and fifth.

Speaking to members of the media after his win, Ekesa took the opportunity to thank all stakeholders and organisers for a well-executed event and said that he enjoyed the run.

“Everything went smooth although marathon is a very hard task. We are always prepared for it and when you see us win here, it is not that we won here. We won behind the race. So we just come to express what we do behind the race to the public.”

Saying that he respected all his competitors, Ekesa went on to say that he was pleased with his performance.

“Coming and participating in events such as this, you have to expect great competition and challenge because you get a lot of elite athletes coming from all over the world. Not just normal athletes. These are people who are the best in their countries so they come out here to showcase. This is something you have to expect but you are always prepared and you do your best and in the end, the best always wins. And it happened that I am the best today,” he said.

Adding that he found the conditions favourable since he was in the Caribbean for the past four months running in Trinidad and Tobago, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Guyana, Ekesa said that he was well acclimatised. Noting that he could have done much better than his two and a half hours, he said that the top prize was not worth putting in his best effort.