One of Barbados’ budding athletes is one of its brightest prospects in this year’s Powerade Run Barbados 10K.
Fresh from winning the Fun Run at the NATION’s Funathlon recently, 21-year-old Jerome Blackett will be spearheading Barbados’ efforts for a podium finish in the 10K race which is set to come off on Saturday.
In an interview with the DAILY NATION recently, Blackett who will also be taking part in the half-marathon, explained that he had used the Fun Run as a warm-up event for next month’s 10K.
This was where he expected to face a much tougher challenge, he said, due to the high quality of competition, which usually features some of the top international runners from Kenya, United States, England and Canada.
But after being the first Bajan home in last year’s event and 13th overall in a time of 35:04 minutes, he was confident that this time around he would improve on both his overall placing and time.
“In the Run Barbados 10K I will be definitely looking for a better time, because there will be more competition, which means I will have to run harder and faster.
“Usually, the top finishers run really fast times, definitely faster than I have run, but I am up to the challenge.
I will put my best foot forward and hopefully I will do well,” he said.
Blackett, who is a member of the Barbados Defence Force Sport Programme, said his hard work in training had been paying off, after clocking a personal best of 34:54 in the Fun Run.
He said that as the 10K drew closer, he had upped the ante in his training for the event.
“I train every day except Saturdays and Sundays, and this includes both mornings and evenings.
“Right now I’m running around 40 miles a week, and I incorporate both the gym and speed work as well,” he said. (RB)
