Sat | Mar 28, 2026

Hard work pays big dividends for KC’s Pitter

Published:Saturday | March 28, 2026 | 12:07 AMRobert Bailey/Gleaner Writer
Jason Pitter of Kingston College smashed the boys’ Class Two 400m record with a 45.76-second run, moving into third on Jamaica’s U18 all-time list behind Christopher Taylor and Usain Bolt, at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Athletics Championships
Ian Allen Photo
Jason Pitter of Kingston College smashed the boys’ Class Two 400m record with a 45.76-second run, moving into third on Jamaica’s U18 all-time list behind Christopher Taylor and Usain Bolt, at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Athletics Championships on March 26, 2026.

Kingston College (KC) quarter-miler Jason Pitter says clean execution was key to his record-breaking performance in the Class Two boys’ 400 metres final at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships on Thursday night at the National Stadium.

Pitter delivered a stunning run of 45.76 seconds to smash the previous record of 46.33 set by former Calabar High School standout Christopher Taylor in 2016. In the process, he also erased his own personal best of 46.35.

Jaeden Campbell of Excelsior High School finished second in 46.74, while Diwayne Sharpe of Calabar High School took third in 46.82.

Pitter, who has been preparing intensely for the season, said his hard work paid off in a big way. “I have been training for this moment from August last year very hard. There was a lot of vomiting, and I passed out a few times, so I knew that I could have come out here and break the record because of all the hard work that I put in,” said Pitter. Despite the historic run, Pitter noted he expected a tougher challenge in the final.

“It wasn’t really a tough race because I was expecting more of a challenge, but I am thankful for the win. I am not surprised by the time because I knew that I had it in me and it was just for me to go out there and execute a good race, and that is exactly what I did in this final,” he said.

Pitter added that he is hoping that his performance will also inspire his teammates at Kingston College.

“This will bring a big joy to my teammates that they can go out there and do great things for Kingston College and have faith in themselves and trust God.”

Confident heading into the final, Pitter pointed out that he backed himself to deliver gold once he stayed focused on his race plan.

“I was always confident coming into this final because I knew that I had it in me, and once I stayed focused and listened to my coach then I knew that I would have won the gold medal,” he said. Pitter also highlighted that dipping into the sub-46-second range is a major milestone for his career.

“Running 45 seconds in the 400 metres is a big thing for my career because I think more people will recognise me now as a very good young quarter-miler in Jamaica,” he said.