Green finally wins High Mountain 10k

Richard Bryan, Gleaner Writer

Thirty-three-year-old José Marti High School teacher, Rupert Green, crowned himself the 10k male champion at the High Mountain road race in Williamsfield on Sunday.

His time of 32 minutes, three seconds was well behind the record-run of Kemoy Campbell last year, but he was more than 200 metres and 57 seconds clear of the second-place runner, American first-time entrant, Bobby Cannon.

Green's prowess on the road running circuit is established, but he is also known to be injury prone, as was the case last year when he failed to finish, or last week when he injured his ankle at the Portland National Health Fund run, which was won by Kirk Brown.

Green has won most on offer on the local circuit, but the High Mountain 10k has been elusive. He said he was determined to win this year, although most track observers felt it was his best chance to do so with the new star of the road, Kemoy Campbell, absent due to a scholarship overseas.

"This is the year I trained the hardest," said the former G.C. Foster College and Morgan State University graduate.

Little doubt

Green, who also pocketed prize-money of $30,000, said he had little doubt he would triumph.

"I knew once I ran a smart race I would win. I didn't finish the race last year and I made myself a promise I would do it."

His run outclassed a field of close to 150 competitors. He stayed behind an early pack of runners, led by Shawn Pitter, up the Winston Jones Highway for the first 3km, but made his move at the fourth and then ran unchallenged for the rest of the race.

Toughest race

Cannon, representing Shore Athletic Club in New Jersey, briefly threatened staying within 30 metres up to the 5k mark. However, Green's sustained pace down the hill proved too much for the American, who felt it was the toughest race he had entered.

He told The Gleaner: "The guy who won was amazing, he was too good down the hill and I couldn't keep up. The course was the hardest I ever run."

Behind Cannon was Kirk Brown (33:18) and Manchester-based Pitter, who finished fourth in 33:22.

Cannon's compatriot and a favourite among the crowd, Edmund Burke, finished ninth, his worse placing in 12 years at this event.

However, team-mate Carol Jefferson won the female 10k ahead of locals Stacy Bell and Areita Martin.

St Elizabeth Technical dominated the girls 5k, copping the first three places, led by Alethia McLaughin in 18 minutes and 29 seconds.

They also completed the double, as Dwayne Hibbert won the boys' 5k in 15:17. Sanjay Pantre of St Jago was second and Herbert Thomas of Munro College third.