Morgan, Gardner, D’Andrade shine at Suriname Marathon

Nov 25, 2008 Sports

– athletes prepare to close season overseas

DECORATED! Guyana’s Llewellyn Gardner, Alika Morgan and Lionel D’Andrade pose with their replicas from the Suriname Marathon yesterday.

Distance star Alika Morgan made an impressive debut when she won the female version of the fifth Suriname Marathon while Llewellyn Gardner claimed the Masters and Lionel D’Andrade placed third among the men.

The event was held in Suriname on Saturday and D’Andrade and Ashanti Scott were the official Athletics Association of Guyana representatives while the other athletes including, Kelvin Johnson went on their own.

Johnson, who became the first international athlete to win the event in 2006, was fourth in the men’s race. D’Andrade was second two years ago and finished fifth last year behind Johnson’s third place finish.

Cleveland Forde did not complete the race owing to the resurrection of his cramping problem while Scott collapsed and had to be hospitalised, according to reports.

“This was more or less condition work for me; I got dropped at the 5km mark but I managed to pass Johnson and others along the way. I felt strong throughout the race,” D’Andrade told Kaieteur Sport yesterday.

He said that he is likely to wing out for a 5km race on Sunday in Trinidad while Morgan is set to defend her title at the Run Barbados 10km race next weekend. She said she felt at ease in her first Marathon event.

“I felt comfortable throughout [the race]. I didn’t feel any pressure. I am comfortable over the longer distances,” the 18–year–old Morgan told this newspaper.

On the other hand, Gardner said that Marathons are his pet race but there is not any in Guyana to challenge him. He proclaimed that he is Guyana’s number one Master and there are no Marathons to encourage him.

The Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) sponsored Morgan, Rajkumar Ganesh of Double Decker Hot Dogs and Burgers sponsored D’Andrade while Nigel’s Supermarket sponsored Gardner.
(Edison Jefford)