4 posts tagged “rbtt”
Nikosi Mc Leish looks to make it Three in a row and a new woman champion to be found.
Port of Spain, Wednesday, 22 April 2009. Nikosi Mc Leish of RBTT two time winner of CariFin is poised to become of one of the few men to win CariFin three times in a row. Last year he predicted that he would win all four running races in CariFin and he did. The first leg of the journey to entering the corridor of CariFin greatness he must first win the Urban Challenge One Lap Savannah – which takes place on Thursday April 23, 2009 around the Queen’s Park savannah opposite TGIF at 5.00 pm.
A feat that may be made easier by the absence of John Warren of GHL and Rodney Julien of ALGICO. But a whole year has passed and other challengers would have moved up in the rank to try to get to sit on the king’s throne.
Those possible challengers could be last year’s fourth place finisher and the fast improving Ryan Pierre of GHL or maybe Keston Wright of Central Bank. Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown and Mc Leish may very well be glancing at his side for his would be challenger.
But the odds on favourite would still be Mc Leish as he is well renown for his passion, dedication and commitment to year round training and racing and it would more than ever be impossible to beat him on a good day.
The woman division or category in CariFin is wide open and could be any body game in 2009 but with last year’s cross country champion and long time participant in CariFin Angela Parris of CLICO will probably have the experience and tactical know how to hold off the anticipated challenge. We would see the emergence of new talent and unexpected movement up at the top. There are teams that are in training hard for these events and as said in an interview by one of the GHL ‘s Team in Training runners -Crystal Ann Awai, “Surprises would happen.”
Other runners who have done quite well last year could feature prominently in the CariFin Urban Challenge 2009. These are Esla Anthony of Central Bank, Candace Rollocks of GHL, Mumtaz Amarali of Republic Bank, we would have to just wait and see.
For the second year there is an all out walking race. This race starts some 5 or 10 minutes after the running event.
In an interview with CariFin online news Hollis Grandville of GHL 2008 CariFin walking champion announced that he will be taking all the walking events in CariFin 2009.
On the women side of the walking event, Hazel Tywang–Mahraj will miss this year Urban Challenge so we will see a new champion being crown in this area
This year we are seeing a very good showing with teams with as much as 60 plus participants taking us over the 300 mark, this is a very good sign for the rest of CariFin Games 2009.
The latest news
RBTT Bank fielded three teams in the just concluded Trinidad & Tobago's Olympic Committee Olympic Day Run which took place on Saturday 21st June, 2008 - King George V Park - 4:00 p.m.
Interested enough they had the resources to field three teams which comprised 4 runners each.
In the corporate category they were represented by Christian Hannays, Richard Downie, Jeeva Samuel and Robert De Silva who did a combine time of 17.57
The other two teams participated in the category - where the four runners must total a minimum of 180 years.
(Team B) Hazel Tywang Maharaj, Leroy Calliste, Susan Russell, Clem Jubrajsingh represented the first team in this category and did a time of 19:22.7.
(Team C) Jason Cummings, Karen Dowden, Cherlin Cadogan and Trevor Benjamin finished in a combined time of 21:36.1
For more information about this event please click
For the full results click here
RBTT Bank 5K on Saturday March 29, 2008
This annual 5k started 7am from the Chaguaramas Branch of RBTT Bank with approximately 175 participants. They proceeded along a course that led them east to Airway Road, unto Siren Drive (by the Fire Station), then to the Western Main Road, and finishes in front of Chaguaramas Branch.
The dynamic duo of Mc Leish and Russell completed their hat trick at the RBTT Bank 5K. It was not a matter of if Mc Leish would win, but what time he would achieve on the course, as he tries to improve on the course record continually. The time I arrived allowed me to barely see Mc Leish cross the finish line in a blistering time of 18.15. In his first entry in 2006 he finished in 19.18, the following year 2007 he minimized he time and ended on 18.52.45 (6.04 per mile). Mc Leish mentioned that “I am in the best shape of my life…… I felt good, especially the last kilometers of the race.” In addition to his performance in the annual RBTT 5k he currently holds the title of male winner at Carifin 2007 and CariFin Athlete of the Month of February.
Susan Russell meanwhile, cited that she preferred a more strategic race and choose to go out strong, maintaining and blasting the last 200 meters leaving the competition standing in the wake of her kick. She looked full of confidence along the course, doing what was necessary to take her light frame over the 3.1 course as quickly as possible with the kind of balance and fluidity you would expect from someone who has won an event for three consecutive years. Due to the fact that I was so late I was able to view her technique, how the balls of her feet touched the ground, as well as her arm placement. Great job Nikosi and Susan!!!
Male second and third places went to Robert De Silva and Andre Corbie. While, the women second place went to Hazel Tywang Maharaj and Karen Dowden finished third.
According to on-lookers the start and end of this year’s race lacked that buzz of last year, maybe due to the minimal participants. In 2007 the estimated number of participants that took part in the race was over 500, while this year, less than 200. Although the support was not great we still would like to acknowledge Mr. Clement Jubrajsingh (check the spelling of his name please) for keeping the “fun, fitness and friendship” in the RBTT family.
Who came to TTUTA?
It nice to know what going on, in terms of fitness at the financial institutions. One of the ways of doing so, is checking to see who is attending and participating in the local road races.
It always informative to see these teams represented at these road events, things like what size of teams they entering, what kind of times the individuals are posting.
It a gauge to see what level of organization, awareness to health and fitness is taking place within particular institutions. These are distinct opportunities to organize staff members as it is inexpensive to put out a team as against other sports which require a higher outlay of cash and time to develop proper technique etc.
The TTUTA race was a 10K event; there is about one other 10K, a 15K and three half marathon on the racing schedule.
The race calendar is populated with number of 5K and I can tell you a lot of people are tired of the over subcribed, cramped, and to some the 5K (3.1 miles) distance is really to short for them to enjoy their running anymore. The longer event is more of a challenge and they get more time to check out their techniques to see how well it is coming along.
It was nice to see ALGICO represented at this event, by the man RODNEY JULIEN. He did a reasonable decent time of 43.36 for the 10K (6.2 ml.). This means his pace was 7. 01 minutes. His one lap savannah time was 14.06.
I scoped the scene and saw another familiar CariFin face in the person of Nikosi Mc Leish
of RBTT Bank, he told me that he was experiencing a few problems with his running and just came for the run. He did a rather slow time by his own standards of 45.30 a race pace
of 7.20 minutes, giving him a one lap savannah time of 14.21 min. on a good day Rodney Julien would of being him not ahead in any race.
The team or institution that really shined at TTUTA 10K was Central Bank. They had 12 runners representing a small team by comparison. There were a number of runners within the ranks for whom this race may be their first or second event or first at the 10K distance. The core of the team stuck together to ensure support and motivation be given to the beginners, this was lead and orchestrated by the trainer/coach Carlos Wilson the more experience runners went out as usual looking for that illusive PR.
It would be nice to see more institution represented at these event, but being this early it may have had catch many by surprise, but it is hoped that more people would come out to the other events scheduled on the calendar.
