Lucky seven for Ballantyne

PAMENOS BALLANTYNE yesterday shook off a bout of influenza (flu) to retain his CLICO Trinidad and Tobago International Marathon title. The triumph for the St Vincent and the Grenadines  long-distance king was his seventh in eight years. Tobago-born Curtis Cox pushed Ballantyne all the way during the 26-2-mile race from the Mid Centre Mall, Chaguanas, to the finish line, outside the Queen’s Park Oval, Tragarete Road, Port- of-Spain. But, in the end, there was no stopping Ballantyne, who completed the course in two hours 20 minutes 57 seconds, five minutes outside of his record-breaking run last year (2:15.30). Cox improved on his time of 2:37.12 last year, when he crossed the finish line in 2:21.20 with Venezuelan Jefferson Rivas taking the bronze medal with a time of 2:26.37.

Another Venezuelan Oscar Meijas was fourth in 2:41.38 while veteran local distance runner Cantius Thomas was fifth in 2:45.08. Like Ballantyne, 2003 women’s champ Gitte Karlshoej was also afflicted with the flu but, unlike her male compatriot, the Danish runner was unable to compete yesterday. In her absence, last year’s runner-up Joanna Gront of Poland cruised to victory in 2:48.01, followed by American Kadi Ryan 3:12.20 and Jamaican Arieta Martin 3:23.43. The CLICO 5k race was also part of the day’s proceedings, with teenagers Guyanese Cleveland Forde and the dreadlocked Pilar McShine successfully defending their titles. Forde won the men’s category in 15 minutes 28 seconds, with Richard Jones 0.05 seconds back in second spot and Errol “Baldhead” Williams third in 16.00. McShine won her fourth straight CLICO 5k in 18.22, followed by Shermain La Saldo 19.29.