CARICOM 10K Meet gets underway: Differently able to be a part

The Spirit of CARICOM will come alive this Sunday, 3 July 2016, as the CARICOM 10K Meet gets underway at 6 a.m. Athletes from several CARICOM States will criss-cross the streets of Greater Georgetown to observe this annual CARICOM tradition, which takes place ahead of the Regular Meeting of the CARICOM Conference of Heads of Government, usually in the host Member State. The 37^th Meeting of the Conference takes place on 4-6 July 2016.

Held under the theme, Promoting Healthy and Peaceful Societies, this year’s event kicks off from the CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen and ends at the Guyana National Park. CARICOM Secretariat Assistant Secretary-General for Human and Social Development, Dr. Douglas Slater, will start the race which ends with a Presentation Ceremony at the National Park.

This year, for the first time, persons with disabilities will compete as a special category in this Community event, which also includes two other supporting events: a 5K race for special categories, including local athletic clubs and a 1500m for students of primary schools. 

For the 10K race, the route  from the CARICOM Secretariat is along the Railway Embankment Road, left at the Ogle Junction until the Rupert Craig Highway; left onto the highway until the JB Latchmansingh Road; right onto Thomas Lands  and continuing until the course turns right into the National Park, ending at the Children’s Monument.

For the 5K race, Athletes start from the Pump Road, left onto the Rupert Craig Highway until the JB Latchmansingh Road; right onto Thomas Lands and continuing until the course turns right into the National Park, ending at the Children’s Monument.

The 1500M Children Race will be run on the lower track of the National Park.

In true Community Spirit and Identity, several collaborators and sponsors have come forward to give support to this event, the overall intention of which is to promote a culture of healthy life styles. Collaborating with the Secretariat are the Athletics Association of Guyana, the Guyana Defence Force and the Guyana Police Force. Sponsors who have generously contributed to prizes and to defraying costs associated with the event to date include Courts Guyana Inc.; DIGICEL Guyana; CARICOM Rice Mills Ltd; Scotiabank; Banks DIH Ltd. and EUREKA Laboratories.

Initiated in 2005 to commemorate the 2005 United Nations Declaration as International Year of Sport and Physical Education, the Meet brings together professional and amateur athletes in the Region in a single space, and gives voice to the positive influence of sport and physical education on quality of life and in the promotion of peace and cooperation, the underlying reason for the Meet.