Athletes from at least eight overseas countries, 120 high schools and approximately 40 clubs and institutions are expected to descend on the National Stadium for the 36th staging of the Gibson Relays.
The relay carnival, which will be staged on February 25, will also feature the 100m hurdles women, 110m hurdles men, high jump and long jump for both male and female, and the pole vault.
"We are expecting in the vicinity of 3,500 participants, then you add another 600 officials to that, so you're talking about 4,000-plus people that will be participating from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.," organising committee member Winston Ulett pointed out while speaking at the launch of the 36th Gibson Relays held yesterday at the Knutsford Court Hotel in New Kingston. "We have a couple teams from USA, St Vincent, Nevis, Guadeloupe, and a couple other small islands, so we have about eight overseas countries that have applied to come," he added.
A usual feature of the event, the technical corner, which seeks to bring new information and new perspective to the whole issue of sports and track and field, has been renamed in honour of former committee member, the late Howard Aris.
Relinquished position
The organising committee for the relays has a new man at the helm, as former chairman Neville 'Teddy' McCook has relinquished the post, which is now occupied by Professor Rainford Wilks.
"It is an honour. I have been on the committee for eight years now, so I have been exposed to the standards, the philosophy and the objectives of the committee," Wilks shared in his inaugural address. "I am very pleased and very humbled to be given this position and hope that I can carry on the tradition of Mr McCook and the rest of the committee who have been doing this job for 40 years.
He added: "I feel prepared for the task, but also humbled for the opportunity, so our plans for next year is to continue what we have been doing, to refine the product and to improve it in many ways and to record the history of the very great event in honour of a very great man."
Wilks intends to spearhead the writing of a book documenting the history of the relays within the next two years.
"We haven't set a time frame (for the completion of the book), but we would want to do it in about a year to two," Wilks disclosed. "Practically speaking, and to be realistic it would take about that, because we have identified the main stakeholders whose opinions and contributions we would like to document," he added.
It will cost patrons $1,200 for finish line seats, $900 for the rest of the grandstand, with all seats being reserved for the meet. It will cost $200 for the bleachers section.