Gordon, Bennett top Old Harbour Bay Neville Myton 5K

Gordon was first across the finish line in 16 minutes and 0.73 seconds ahead of Dwayne Graham (16:09.21) and Kemar Leslie who stopped the clock at 16:30.83.

Bennett placed 23rd overall out of 52 participants, but was the first female to finish the race, logging a time of 21:24.59 to win on her debut at the event’s 27th staging.

Bennett ran unchallenged amongst the ladies, as she comfortably won ahead of veteran and former champion Arieta Martin (26:45.31) and Brithana Walker (29:46.86).

Click here to view full race result.

It is the third road race of the season for Gordon who was happy with his race strategy.

“I was aiming to break 15 seconds,” he told Old Harbour News. “But this is my fastest time (for the season).

“Going forward this will boost my confidence because I have a next race next week and I am also preparing for the Sigma road race.”

With a personal 5K best of 14:57.00, Gordon said his plan for this race was to “go out hard” but had to quickly adjust his strategy.

“I had others who go out harder than me,” he added. “So I have to sit back and when I reach around 2km I move forward and start to take the lead and push away from them.

“I start leading from two-and-a-half kilometres and when I reach four kilometers I realize I have a gap so I know was going to win.”

Bennett, who competed at last year’s ISSA Boys and Girls Athletics Championship 1500m and 3000m finals but failed to medal in either, is grateful to finish the race injury-free but was aiming for a faster time.

“There’s room for improvement,” she said afterwards. “I am happy where am at now because I know I have been training hard lately. My aim is to get to 18 seconds.”

Meantime, veteran and former open champion Karlene Blagrove took the Over-50 female category, while local resident Winston Mollison topped the 40-49 male age group.

It’s the first time the event was held without the late Neville Myton, a native of the community and Olympian, who died in May 2021.

Dennis May, a close friend of Myton and co-coordinator of the event said the organizing committee “felt it was right to bring back this meet” after it was canceled last time due to the coronavirus pandemic “in commemoration of this stalwart of Old Harbour Bay and athletics”.

“I am so pleased of the turning out of the community and friends and colleagues of Neville Myton,” added May. “They remember him. And it pleases me so much to see that people have taken time off on this day to come to support this event; long may it continue.”