Visiting athletes find Chatoyer Endurance challenging

Billed as the World’s Most Challenging 10K, the NACAC Endurance race seemed to have struck a chord with some of the visiting athletes who ventured in the vent last Sunday on the North Leeward side of mainland St Vincent.{{more}}

The event ran off from Gordon Yard, through the communities of Spring Village, Cumberland, Coulls Hill, Troumaca, Rose Bank, Petit Bordel, before culminating at the Chateaubelair Playing Field.

The consensus, though, was that the route proved more than they had bargained for.

Trinidadian Curtis Cox, who placed third in the international category, told SEARCHLIGHT: “It is very difficult because of the downhills… I don’t mind running downhill, but they are very steep.”

Cox explained, “The downhill taxes your muscles, then you have a lot of uphills, so it is difficult to negotiate the course… After this race, you will take a time to recover because your muscles mash up.”

Cox said he prefers the old route of Prospect to Kingstown; however, he will have to train on similar terrain if he is to return in 2016 to compete in the event.

Despite winning the race, Kenyan Kenneth Rotich thought the course was “challenging”.

His assessment was that there was “too much downhill.”

Rotich, however, said that having knowledge of the course, he plans to train and return in 2016 to defend the title, which he projects he will.

The women’s winner, Trinidadian Tonya Nero, shared similar sentiments.

“It was very difficult, very challenging… For me, the hardest part was running downhill and because they are so long, it puts more pressure on the knees and the hips, your body as a whole,” Nero commented.

“It is a course you could train on, but not one to race,” Nero opined.

She, however, confessed that it was not the most challenging race she has ever contested, but promises to train if she is to do it all over again in the near future.

And, Martiniquan Yahia Haiji, speaking through an interpreter, said he had competed in various 10K road races, but the Chatoyer 10K was the hardest he has ever done.(RT)