TEENAGER Dario Grandison and the consistent Carlie Pipe won the men’s and women’s sections, respectively of the PowerAde Fun Mile last night to usher in the 2013 Run Barbados series.
Grandison, 17, arrived at the starting point in St Lawrence Gap, Dover, Christ Christ just two minutes before the starter’ gun went off to set the over 400 runners on their way.
As a result, he was unable to get on his shoes and ran the entire race bare-footed.
But that handicap didn’t seem to bother him as he held off a challenge from his Pacers clubmate, Hakeem Newton to triumph in 4:40 minutes.
Newton also clocked the same time while former Barbados CARIFTA distance runner, Christian Rock was third in 4:47 minutes, edging Trinidadian Nelinho Mierez (4:47) into fourth. Christ Church Foundation schoolboy Rio Williams rounded off the top five in 4:54 minutes.
Pipe, 26, covered the course in 5:36 minutes to be the first female home and 28th overall.
Promising Lester Vaughan and CARIFTA quarter-miler, 14-year-old Tiana Bowen, was second in 5:50 minutes while Robyn Haynes was the third woman to finish in 6:05 minutes.
The series continues today with the inaugural Aquathon (swim and run) at 3:30 p.m., followed by the annual PowerAde 10K Run at 4:30 p.m., and the ICBL 3K Run and Schools Challenge at 4:35 p.m..
Tomorrow, the series will climax with the half-marathon starting at 5 a.m., and the 5K Run and Digicel 4G CEO Challenge at 5:15 a.m..
Apart from local runners, competitors from St Vincent and Trinidad and Tobago, the United Kingdom, Finland, Germany, Holland, Canada, the United States, Poland and Venezuela, participated in the Fun Mile. (EZS)
