184 young athletes participate in Youth Track League

The Gibraltar Amateur Athletics Association held its first Youth Track League races this past Tuesday, with a total of 184 children participating — one of the largest numbers registered in recent years.

Volunteer organisers, most of whom had marshalled and participated as timekeepers during the previous Sunday’s 16km Senior Road Runners League race, had a mammoth task on their hands organising competitions across the many categories, from the youngest 5- and 6-year-olds through to the 14-year-olds.

Groups were divided into five competitors at a time, with races carefully balanced to ensure fair competition and a smooth, fast flow from start to finish. This structure ensured everyone had a chance to run, including some who arrived late.

There was plenty of excitement on the day, with children watched by parents and friends, all eager to produce their best performances. For some, it was the first competitive race they had ever entered.

The half-filled Lathbury Stadium spectator stands were also treated to a spectacle in the Under-14 category, with Olivia Patterson Roberts providing one of the standout performances of the day.

Competing in the 1000m alongside boys in her age group, Olivia delivered a strong performance that produced impressive times among the top four or five runners. Although not her personal best, her time of 3:22 was praised by officials, who highlighted that the performances recorded were of a standard comparable to some top senior adult runners.

The Youth Track League races will take place every Tuesday for the next fortnight, with the schedule having been delayed due to the recent severe storm weather that made it impossible to compete at Lathbury Stadium. With further unsettled weather expected in the coming weeks before the arrival of warmer spring conditions, organisers are continuing to monitor the situation closely in case further changes to the schedule are required.
(Watch out for images in next week’s print edition)