Gordon, Harris show ‘Heart’ for victory

Garfield Gordon of UCT Steppas and Jozanne Harris of Jamdammers were the top men’s and women’s finishers at the Run For Your Heart 5K and 2K Road Race, which started and ended at Emancipation Park yesterday. In very cool conditions, Harris clocked 22:23.00 minutes while Gordon crossed the line first in 16:24.00.

Janettea Robinson, 23:16.00, representing Pacers Running Club, and Veronica Elkins, competing unattached, finished second and third, respectively among the females. Harris was pleased with her win on the day.

“It was a good run for me, and the time was a bit faster than my last win at the Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce 5K,” she said.

The experienced Gordon, who took control from the start of the race, finished ahead of Kemar Leslie of Rainforest Seafood in 17:22.00 and his training partner, Travis Lingard, third in 18:58.00. Gordon, who has been the country’s most consistent male athlete over the 5K route, was happy for another win, but was not too pleased with his final time.

“The route was a bit challenging for me as I am suffering from a hamstring injury, and I am just coming back and trying to get into competitive mode,” he said.

Heart Fund of Jamaica Senior Manager of Marketing and Fund Development Karen Anderson was pleased with what she ­considered another successful staging of the event.

“This is really an initiative of a fundraising effort for the Heart Foundation to raise funds to repair some equipment that is necessary, needed, and also to keep our race subsidised,” she said. “So we asked persons to come out, to go Red, and be a Heart hero. Everybody who participated is a heart hero, and we really appreciate the persons who have come and donated and the sponsors who have come on. We are very excited about the turnout as we got just over 2,000 [entrants], an increase of over 500 hundred from last year’s staging.”

Other results

5K walk awards

Men’s

1. Duwell Allen (Creation Foods Ltd) 25:46.00

2. Lenworth Hunter (Unattached) 29:39.00

3. Oswy Gayle (UCT Steppas) 31:32.00

Women’s

1. Paula Sinclair (UCT Steppas) 34:42.00

2. Juliette Reeves (Jamaica Public Service) 35:04.00

3. Shawn Ashman (UCT Steppas) 35:10.00

5K Run champion team: Bank of Jamaica

5K Run largest participating team: Hillel Academy