Athletics   Cross-country series ends   |01 February 2023

The level of participation was again very low for the third and final races of the cross-country series raced last Saturday at the fitness trail, Roche Caïman, but this did not deter the spirit of the 12 athletes who turned up to compete.

Competing in the female youth Under-18 (U-18) 4km (2 laps) race, Chloe Joubert improved her personal best time over the distance by stopping the clock at 21 minutes 11.1 seconds (21:11.1).

She had clocked 22:19.0 in the first race on January 14 and did not take part in the second on January 21.

Meryle Rabat is the youth (U-18) 4km record holder with a time of 15:32.4 set on 07.02.2016.

Running for the Inner Islands team, Tiphano Uranie made it two victories in a row in the male U-18 4km race. On Saturday, his winning time was 15:04.5 ‒ 1:00.02 slower than his time of 14:04.3 clocked in the second race of the series after he had missed the first.

As for Adley Lauricourt, he collected a third second-place finish in 16:08.3.

Mervin Monthy is the holder of the male youth (U-18) 4km record of 13:24.5 set on 07.02.2016.

In the male junior (U-20) 8km (4 laps) race, Neil Azemia collected his third win on the trot as he ran unchallenged for the third time. His time at the finish line was 33:36.6.

Like Azemia, Brenda Larue also collected her second win in as many races when she won last Saturday’s female senior (over-20) five-lap (10 kilometres) race in 53:05.2, thus relegating Anita Amasogna to second place in 53:06.8. This was Amasogna’s third second place finish.

Winner of last year’s Mahe Crazy Challenge organised jointly by the Seychelles Challenge and Outward Bounds Association and the community, leisure and sports for all unit within the National Sports Council, Noah Chilinda took the start for the first time last Saturday and won the male senior (O-20) 10km (five-lap) race in 40:12.1.

Second was Simon Labiche with a time of 43:06.9 followed in third place by Nagarajan Gnanapra (50:23.8).

Florise Ernesta ran unchallenged in the female masters (O-40) 6km (3 laps) race and her time at the finish line was 35:05.5.

The men’s master (O-40) 8km (4 laps) race was won by Sisira Kumara in 34:47.8 to make it three wins in a row. In second place was Jose Victor in 40:46.2.

Organised by the Seychelles Athletics Federation, the cross-country series was a way to get track and field athletes as well as other sportsmen back on track after a rather long break from competitive sports. People who love running were also eligible to take part.

Meanwhile, the Seychelles Athletics Federation will be organising the Special Events 1 competition this coming Saturday February 4, starting at 3pm at Stad Popiler. Clubs are asked to register their athletes and the deadline is Thursday February 2, 2023 at 4pm.

In the Special Events competition athletes compete in shorter distances which they use to fine-tune their techniques before they line up for normal events that feature on the Seychelles Athletics Federation calendar.

Gerard Govinden