By Dean “The Sportsman” Greenaway
PETIT BOURG, Guadeloupe—Juan Carlos demolish the field to become the second successive Mexican NACAC Petit Bourg 10k winner on Saturday, while Kenya’s Leah Kegan—16th overall—established a new course record highlighting the event on hot afternoon in this costal town in Basseterre, Guadeloupe.
With his long loping strides, Carlos turned a 30 second advantage on the first lap into a 1 minute and 19 seconds victory over Rwanda’s Dieduonne Disi. The Mexican had time to slap hands with appreciative fans over the last 60m en route to easily winning in 30 minutes and 40 seconds to Disi’s 31:59. Kenya’s Tirop Kesio placed third in 32:03, in the race that attracted 201 participants. Guadeloupe’s Eddy Boulate was fourth in 33:06 followed by Martinique’s 50-year old Claude Nohile who grabbed fifth in 33:13.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ veteran Pamenos Ballentyne overhauled three fellow CARICOM nationals to cross the line as the first from the English speaking Caribbean in sixth overall in 33:49.
Ballentyne passed Trinidad and Tobago’s Curtis Cox who was seventh in 34:02; Guyana’s Cleveland Thomas (8th) in 34:33 and Grenada’s Sherwin Paul finished in 34:59—good for 9th.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ Meshach Dublin was just six seconds ahead of women’s winner Kegan’s 36:43 course record with his 36:37 mark the 15th best mark of the day.
St. Lucia’s Winsbert Sylvester was 18th overall and the 17th male in the competition after finishing the undulating course in 37:03.
Next was the U.S. Virgin Islands’ Shane DeGannes in 38:00, good for 24th overall and 22nd in the male category. Montserrat’s Keanau Barnwell had a time of 45:56 to finish 68th overall.
Mexico’s Martha Vasquez—who won the event in 2012—finished second behind Kegan as she did last year in 37:48. Trinidad and Tobago’s sensation Tonya Nero was the third woman to cross the line in 38:44.
Linda McDowall of St. Vincent and the Grenadines ran 40:52 to place fourth, while the U.S. Virgin Islands’ Ruth Ann David overhauled three runners including Guadeloupe twin sisters Christina and Christelle Laurent for fifth in 41:25.
Grenada’s Kenisha Pascal was ninth among the women after covering the course in 45:02 while the British Virgin Islands’ Katrina Crumpler placed 10th in 46:15, rounding out the NACAC athletes’ performances.
