VICTORY for national distance runner Nicholas Romany at the RBC Run for Kids 15K on October 20 was not as sweet as he expected as his main rival on the local circuit, Kenyan Alex Ekesa, was disqualified for making a wrong turn during the route through Port of Spain.
Ekesa crossed the finish line first at the Queen's Park Savannah, but his excitement dissipated as race organisers told him he had ran the wrong route at the tail-end of the race.
[caption id="attachment_1115813" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Runner Shian Lewis, left, collects her prize for winning the RBC Run for Kids women's 5K race from RBC managing director Marc Jardine on October 20 in Port of Spain. - Photo by Roger Jacob[/caption]
Romany, who won 15,000 Caribbean miles and $1,500, confirmed to Newsday that Ekesa was about 200m ahead of him over the final kilometre, and believes he would have won the race if he had taken the correct route.
Ekesa expressed disappointment with the outcome via a Facebook post on October 20. He said he was “following the designated course when a course marshal directed me to turn off the marked path.”
Instead of staying along Serpentine Road before turning onto Elizabeth Street and then turning east along Hayes Street, Ekesa ran directly onto Hayes Street.
Ekesa clocked 47 minutes and 50 seconds (47.50), according to his Strava app, which measured distance covered as 14.74km. Romany, who crossed the line second, but was upgraded to first place, clocked a winning time of 51.23.
Romany, who competes with TT Road Runners Club, described Ekesa’s incident as unfortunate.
“I didn’t really win,” Romany said. “I saw the course on Facebook because an event organiser posted video with the course, and most of us watched it, so I knew where I had to go.”
However, Romany said when he approached the point of the race where Ekesa was guided to go straight (off course) instead of left (official route) by the marshal, he was also directed to the wrong route.
[caption id="attachment_1115814" align="alignnone" width="965"] A boy waves while participating in the annual RBC Run for Kids race in Port of Spain on Sunday. The race is held to help raise cancer awareness and to support the Caribbean Children’s Cancer Fund. - Photo by Roger Jacob[/caption]
However, he told the marshal that was the wrong direction and "made the left and went on the correct course.”
In Ekesa’s post, he posted a video of himself running accompanied by a police officer on a motorbike. He said he was leading the race and was reliant on the advice of officials and suitably placed signage to guide him and other runners on the correct route.
Upon approaching the marshal at the position he went off course, Ekesa said, “The officer used a hand sign to ask the marshal if we should proceed straight, and the marshal indicated that was the route. I trusted their guidance. I completed the race first overall."
Ekesa said mistakes do happen but wants those responsible to take ownership and bring a fair resolution to this matter.
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