The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

HE didn't get to qualify for the 2012 Olympic Games, so Grand Bahamian Delroy Booth decided to come to town and prove that he's fit and ready to compete in any other international meet.

The marathon runner easily won the Bahamas Olympic Committee's Olympic Day Run/Walk race ahead of Sidney Collie on Saturday. The early morning riser took on a new course, starting and finishing in the parking lot of BTC. The women's race was won by Hughnique Rolle.

"This was a pretty fast race, considering that I just came back from Minnesota running in the high altitude," Booth said. "I heard about this race at the last minute, so I said if I can get some of my people back home like Peter Turnquest, to get me a flight, I will come here and compete. Thanks to Mr Turnquest, he got me the flight and my friends helped with the change for me and I'm here."

Booth, however, noted that for four miles, he didn't expect to run the 20 minutes he posted, especially after doing all of his training for the marathon.

"I'm getting back in speed shape, so I want to stay strong," Booth said. "I can't make the Olympic team anymore because when I requested help in 2010 to go to Colorado to train for two years, I didn't get it. So I decided to continue to train and hopefully prepare myself for events in the masters division now that I am eligible to compete at that level."

Disappointed that he didn't get a chance to qualify for the Olympics, Booth said he still intends to train and eventually give it another shot at the Olympics in 2016 and events like the Olympic run should help him because he was able to work on his speed.

"The race was super. I knew I was going to win it," he said. "I felt good from the start. Nobody was out there to direct the route, so we had to turn around, catch the pack and still surged out to win," he said.

"I could have ran about 19 minutes, but the confusion in the time really made the difference, I wasn't tired at all after the race, so I knew I could run fast."

Collie gave thanks to God for helping him to come through in the race because he felt that Booth made him really run.

"He ran all right, but I want to thank God because I've been training really hard and this was a good test for me to see where I am," he said. "I saw Delroy ahead of me. He wasn't that far, so I knew I could catch him. In the first two miles, we were right there, so I wasn't concerned about the fact that I can't compete with him. He just got away in the last two miles."

Rolle, coming off a great track season in which she ran some pretty good times in the 1,500 and 3,000 meters, said it was good for her to make the adjustment to the road.

"The weather was actually nice today and I felt good," she said. "The race was very competitive, so I was pleased that I was able to go out there and compete as well as I did."

While she didn't have any competitors on the women's side to challenge her, Rolle went after the men, finishing third overall behind Booth and Collie.

"The hills coming over Prospect Ridge was a little difficult, but I didn't have any problems with it," Rolle said, "I am happy with the way I performed. I couldn't catch Delroy and Sidney. They're not on my level just yet."

However, she enjoys the change in environment because unlike the track, the competitors are all in a friendly mood, whether they win or lose. She said she enjoys the socializing that goes on after the race.

There were a number of winners, including George Smith, James Bodie, Eva Dorsette, Gianna Soles, Rayuan Bethel, Lorna Rolle, Joey Roberts, Denise Hall, Jafari Longley, Johnique David, Davon Francis, Christopher Rahming, Ebonie Johnson and Adrian Demeritte.

Instead of running, Mackey Williams did the walk and he was the first finisher overall.

"I just wanted to do the walk to check out my conditioning," he said.

"There was no competition. I just went out there with minimum stride and I wasn't challenged, so I just went for it."

Among those who also participated was Leslie Miller, MP for Tall Pines.

"It was the toughest one. The athletes are fast. They didn't let up," Miller said. "There was a little fellow ahead of me. Every time I caught up with him, he went faster. I was always a competitor, so I never gave up. I went to the Olympic Games in 1964 and I was the first Bahamian to run under 47 seconds for the 400, so I just love the idea of running or walking with the younger fellows. It just keep you healthy."

Miller, however, said that he was disappointed with the BOC and the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) as they had a very limited amount of members present and the event was used to promote the Olympic Games.

"I don't know how they could have a road race that is to help the team and they are not even here," he said. "That sort of angers me being around the sport. How do you expect people to support you and you ain't around. It's no excuse for them not to show up, especially if these athletes can come here this early in the morning to support the race."

The race was sponsored by BTC, Burns House Limited, Scotiabank, d'Albenas Agency Limited and Red Bull, all of whom had representatives present.

"We are here to support Team Bahamas," said Leah Davis, marketing manager for Scotiabank. "We've made an official partnership with the Bahamas Olympic Committee and we are doing what we can to get Team Bahamas to London."

Davis, along with her son and daughter, participated in the walk as well, but she noted that because they had a major AIDS Awareness Day in Rawson Square on Friday, many of their employees were unable to participate with her.

Jan Thurston, brand manager, said Burns House decided to come out and support the event through Vita Malt and they were pleased with the response from the competitors. "We're just here to help out with some refreshments. Early in the morning, but it was okay," she said.