News Releases

UWI SPEC formally launches 2009 International Half Marathon

For Release Upon Receipt - September 9, 2009

St. Augustine


The University of the West Indies, St Augustine Campus, Trinidad and Tobago will once again host its signature UWI SPEC International Half Marathon 2009 on Sunday 1st November, 2009. First Citizens Bank is the presenting sponsor of the UWI SPEC International Half Marathon. St Augustine Campus Principal, Professor Clement Sankat, received a cheque for TT$350,000 from First Citizens, at an official media launch of the Half Marathon, held at the Office of the Campus Principal.

This year, the Half Marathon begins at the UWI SPEC from 6 a.m. with the 13.1 mile route remaining unchanged. The race will continue along the traffic-free Priority Bus Route (PBR) to the La Resource Junction in D’Abadie, before doubling back to the UWI SPEC.  The course will be complete with markers and water stops at every mile for the running convenience of the athletes from around the world including the Caribbean, USA, Latin America and Europe.

Over 1,000 local, regional and international athletes will compete for over TT$135,000 in prizes, including specific categories for UWI students and staff, and wheelchair as well as physically challenged competitors.  This year, a new team category will be introduced.  Teams must have a minimum of 15 athletes.  Team members are allowed to also enter in the individual categories.  

Participation has grown over the years from 300 at its inception in 2004 to more than 750 in 2008–for this, the only traffic-free race of its kind in the region.  

Once again, this year’s race will be electronically timed and any records broken in this AIMS-certified (Association of International Marathons and Distance Races), and International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF)-accredited race will be recognized worldwide.

Another important feature is the recognition by the National Amateur Athletic Association (NAAA) of the UWI SPEC International Half Marathon as its official half marathon championship.

Local participants have the added convenience once again this year of registering at any First Citizens Bank branch throughout Trinidad and Tobago by presenting valid picture identification and their registration fee. Race waivers will now be signed at the First Citizens branch when completing the registration.

Registration took place from September 10th to October 23rd, 2009.  Registration will automatically close, however, when 1000 persons have registered for the race. There will be no registration on race day.

Only athletes residing outside of Trinidad & Tobago can register online at active.com.  The deadline for online registration was Friday 16th October, 2009.

To download photos from the UWI SPEC International Half Marathon media launch, click http://www.flickr.com/photos/theuwi/sets/72157622320417310/show/.

For more information, visit the UWI SPEC website at www.uwi.tt/spec/marathon/ or call (868) 662-2002 Ext. 3771, 2660, 3556 or 3571 or e-mail specinfo@sta.uwi.edu

For more UWI News, click http://sta.uwi.edu/news. For UWI photos, click http://www.flickr.com/photos/theuwi

 

ABOUT UWI

Over the last six decades, The University of the West Indies (UWI) has evolved from a fledgling college in Jamaica with 33 students to a full-fledged University with over 40,000 students. Today, UWI is the largest and most longstanding higher education provider in the English-speaking Caribbean, with main campuses in Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, and Centres in Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, The Bahamas, Belize, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St Christopher (St Kitts) & Nevis, St Lucia, and St Vincent & the Grenadines. UWI recently launched its Open Campus, a virtual campus with over 50 physical site locations across the region, serving over 20 countries in the English-speaking Caribbean. UWI is an international university with faculty and students from over 40 countries and collaborative links with over 60 universities around the world. Through its seven Faculties, UWI offers undergraduate and postgraduate degree options in Engineering, Humanities & Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Pure & Applied Sciences, Science and Agriculture, and Social Sciences.

Contact

  • The UWI SPEC

  • Faculty/Department

  • Tel.: (868) 662-2002 Ext. 3771, 2660, 3556 or 3571
  • Email: specinfo@sta.uwi.edu