By Paul A. Reid, Staff Reporter 
St. Vincent's Pamenos Ballantyne on his way to victory in the Reggae Marathon in Negril yesterday. – Paul Reid Photo
WESTERN BUREAU:
THE KING of Caribbean marathons, Pamenos Ballantyne of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, yesterday won his third Reggae Marathon in four years after outclassing the field for an easy victory in Negril.
The 30-year-old former Olympic and World Championships participant finished in 2:28.04 which was slower than his course record but he said a fast time was never his main objective, just to win the event.
Ballantyne, who missed last year's renewal to take part in the Run Barbados event which clashed with the Negril race, led home two Jamaicans, Phillip Edwards (2:41.08) and Andrew Gutzmore (2:42.05).
Jamaica's Arieta Martin won the women's race while Chicago-based journalist Jeremy Borling took the men's half marathon and 18-year-old Tacius Golding schoolgirl Tamika Thomas won the women's half marathon.
Last year's men's half marathon winner, Wainard Talbert, collapsed half-way through the marathon and was taken by ambulance to the medical centre. His condition was not considered to be serious however as his coach Edward Hector told reporters after the race that the runner had suffered from dehydration and was recovering.
Talbert who is undefeated in road racing in the island this year had gone out hard and tried to match strides with Ballantyne and suffered as a consequence.
Ballantyne said the race was easy.
"I was comfortable all the way and my main objective was to win the race, that was the first goal and, secondly, I used this as part of my Caribbean event schedule," he said.
"The Trinidad and Tobago marathon is my major event and after that I believe it is the Reggae Marathon."
PRESSURED
He said he was "pressured" to run in Barbados last year by his manager and the Run Barbados race director but this year managed to convince them that the Reggae Marathon was the event he really wanted to take part in.
While both events were similar, he said the Reggae Marathon was his choice as "the Jamaican course, more than any other including the Trinidad and Tobago, is very interesting as you run past the same places twice and get a lot of support on the course and also as it is easy with a nice incline near the finish and I use it to my advantage".
After running with two Jamaicans for 16 miles, he said he stepped up his pace and ran on his own all the way to the finish.
Martin, who was taking part in her second marathon, ran a personal best 3:14.05 after her first effort of about 3:23.00 for third in a Trinidad race earlier in the year and said: "I came out today hoping to run about 3:15-3:20 and I was struggling early as I got a groin strain in September and it was bothering me all through the race but I ran through it".
"I was very satisfied with time," she said but added she would take some time away from racing to allow her groin to heal properly.
Kathy Waldron of Green Bay, Wisconsin was second while Mimmi Andersson of Uppsala, Sweden was third.
The 24-year-old Borling, who was primarily in the island to cover the event for 'Running Network' a magazine group out of the U.S., said he was surprised to win the half marathon as his race plan was to run conservatively and try to overtake as many runners as he could through the race.
CAUGHT EARLY
Borling, who caught early pacesetter Robert Watson just past the nine-mile marker, said: "When I caught him, I wanted to run past him quickly because I was getting tired and did not want to get out of rhythm and slow down and just wanted the finish line to come quickly before I fell apart."
By that time he said he "was running on adrenaline then and got really excited when I saw the lead vehicles".
Watson was second in 1:12.18 while Lamar Edwards was third (1:12.49).
The American described the race as a "lot of fun".
"It was not as hot as I expected it to be, there was a lot of great competition, water on course was fantastic, the fans out on the course were very supportive and it was definitely one of the best (organised) races I have ever run."
Thomas, who won the female section for the second time, said the "course seemed shorter today and I am happy with the time and the win, using the race to get ready for the track season".
She beat 36-year-old Canadian chiropractor Tanja Degen (1:30.29) and Mary Frielinsdorf (1:38.06).
