20
UWI TODAY – SUNDAY 16 DECEMBER, 2018
70
th
ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATIVE ISSUE
WhenUWI SPEC
officially opened its heavy doors onMarch 16,
2003, it was already bursting with ideas for the development
of sport and physical education in the region. The Director of
Sport and Physical Education at the St. Augustine Campus,
Dr
Iva Gloudon
, to whom SPEC has been like her very own child,
was clear that it was going to be branded as a site for excellence
in the region for that and more.
Just about a year and a half later, on November 14, 2004,
the first
UWI SPEC International Half-Marathon
came pelting
out the heavy doors, bringing a number of innovative firsts to
the region, and it has not looked back.
In that first year, though the prize money was all of
$100,000, and the entrants were around 300, it caught the
public’s attention for several reasons. It hadmanaged to secure
the first traffic-free course in the region. The 13.1 mile journey,
beginning at 6.30am, would use the Priority Bus Route up to
La Resource and loop back to the finish at UWI SPEC. University
students from all over were invited to attend as the idea was
to involve students in the concepts of healthy lifestyles as well.
As she looked forward to the first edition, Dr Gloudon had
said, “We wanted UWI SPEC to be tied in to the excellence in
sport and physical education froman international standpoint.
We don’t know of any other traffic-free road race in the Carib-
bean. And it is also an exciting way to have a laboratory for our
students in the sport management, coaching certificate and
physical training instructors’ programme. It’s an opportunity for
all of these students to practise the craft in a practicum setting.
And in a wider sense, to begin to brand UWI as an institution
committed to having its students focused on having a well-
balanced, well-rounded education.”
This year marks the tenth edition of that first step, and it
is interesting that some, like
First Citizens
and
Raffique Shah
(though he is no longer
hands-on as technical
advisor), have gone
the distance, throw-
ing their support be-
hind an event that has
indeed grown to be
a major international
event, just as Dr Gloud-
on had intended.
B u t i f s o m e
things have remained
the same, much has
changed as well.
Since then the cat-
egories for entries have
grown. In addition to
UWI staff and student
groups, the wheelchair
and physically chal-
lenged categories, there
is now a team category
for aminimumof 15 ath-
letes, for instance.
Over the years, as
registration grew, a de-
cision was made to cap
it off at the first one
thousand.
For current director
of Sport and PE at UWI,
Justin Latapy-George
,
it has been a privilege to
preside over this special
edition. Latapy-George,
who is also the Race
Director, says the honour is also magnified by “allowing me to
be a part of the University’s long-standing support of academia
and Sport and PE while promoting a healthier lifestyle choice
that is aptly supported by the race’s sponsors; principles that
allow me to enjoy my role tremendously.”
This year, as part of the special commemoration of this
tenth year, a number of symbolic changes have been made.
Registrationwill be open to the first 1010 runners; and the race,
will get going a bit earlier, starting at 10 minutes to six.
The focus in this tenth year is giving; giving to charitable
organisations, and so, the Marketing and Communications
Office team, led by acting Communications Manager,
Renata
Sankar-Jaimungal
(who is also a Sport Management Master’s
student), came up with a plan to invite 10 people to champion
10 charities and to encourage the public, as well as staff and
students to pledge $10 towards one of these people and the
money would go towards their chosen charity.
Anyone can pledge, even as groups, organizations, facul-
ties; anyone can, because the aim is to support the marathon
and its related charities. Organizers are hoping that pledges can
bemade through staff deductions, bank deposits into a special
account, by deposit at the Bursary Cashier on the St. Augustine
campus. For every $10 received 10%will go towards marathon
funding and the rest to the named charity. Pledges will also be
taken on the day.
This team, called The 10, are not there just for their looks
though, they have to be part of a 12-week training programme,
specially designed by SPEC. One would imagine that the train-
ing programme would have been 10 weeks long in keeping
with the theme, but there is no compromise when it comes
to ensuring that they are fit and ready to race, on the big day,
October 27. –
(Vaneisa Baksh)
The
10
th
LAP
THE TEN TRAINING
The 12-week training
programme has a fairly intense schedule, with
sessions carded for Mondays,Wednesdays and
Fridayswithdistance runningon theweekends.
TheTen
have been hauling themselves to SPEC
as best as they can to take part in training.
This includes field
Fartlek
(Fartlek is a training
technique, used especially in running, in which
periods of intense effort alternate with periods
of less strenuous effort ina continuousworkout),
pace work and sprints. The gym sessions
involve circuit training, core, legs, upper
body and stretches. Of course, there are drills
involved, and some hill work too.
By the time race day arrives, even if they did
not make it to all the sessions, The Ten are
going to be more than fit and ready!
Justin Latapy-George
Dr Iva Gloudon
UWI SPEC INTERNATIONAL HALF-MARATHON
– ISSUE ARCHIVE AUGUST 2013
