Ricardo Makyn

Eubanks

Shawn Pitter

RAYMOND GRAHAM, Star Writer

The island's leading middle-distance athletes will be in action on Sunday, as the very popular Burger King Grand Prix series will get under way, with the staging of the Burger King Mandeville 7K Run Walk event, scheduled to start at 3 p.m.

This event will be the first of three, with the second leg being the Portmore 10K on November 9, and the Reggae Marathon/Half Marathon and 10K to close off things in Negril on Saturday, December 6.

Once again, Burger King has invested heavily in the series, and at the close, there will be a cash prize of $40,000 for the top individual male and female, while the top high-school male and female teams will receive $60,000 each. There will also be cash prizes for second and third, both for individuals and for teams.

Unlike previous years when the event started in Montego Bay, the venue has shifted to Mandeville and road race director Alfred 'Franno' Francis believes that is a good move.

"Over the years, we have got most of our entries from Central Jamaica and with the event now being held closer to home, we expect more entries and these are the athletes who dominate this kind of running in Jamaica," said Francis.

It should be very competitive in both the individual and team sections, as the likes of Edwin Allen, Holmwood, St Jago High and Bellefield look set to fight for top honours, while Mavis Bank and Vere Technical could spring surprises.

Very competitive

It should also be very competitive among the females and males for the individual sections, as with the departure of last year's top female Marleena Eubanks, who is now overseas, her former teammate at Edwin Allen, Asshani Robb will be hoping to follow in her footsteps. She could start favourite to take home the top prize of $15,000 in Sunday's opening event. Robb, along with the likes of Holmwood Technical's Lisa Buchanan, St Jago's Chris-Ann Lewis, Hydel's Monifa Green and the consistent Danielle James of Mavis Bank Track Club, could make it one of the most, competitive female events.

It should be the same story for the males as it has been close going so far. Mavis Bank's Garfield Gordon, following his upset win at the Digicel 5K downtown Night race, will be hoping to continue a winning trend, but will have his hands full, as the likes of Kirk Brown, Damian Bent and Shawn Pitter will be all coming out.