Finley wins 4km dash

Finely Cant won the first race of this season’s Road Runners League in an exciting finish which saw him edge ahead in the final stretch at Campion Park.

Closely followed by Julian Sheriff, the two had led the 4km dash, running shoulder to shoulder towards the latter part of the final stretch along Queensway. Cant was to produce a final burst to cross the finish line ahead of his rival.

The race, the first of the Road Runners League, saw 118 runners compete, a record according to GAAA officials. With an increased number of teams also competing and some of the upcoming youngsters making their first appearances in the league, beyond the one-mile sprint, this was to be a celebratory race for the GAAA at a time when internal rifts had raised pressure on the council.

Sunday’s race had an early 9am start, with runners gathering at Campion Park Promenade.

The 4km Cumberland Run, also known as the 4km Dash, saw athletes start by Midtown and head along Queensway towards Ragged Staff, before being directed through Trafalgar Interchange onto Rosia Road. Runners were then directed around Cumberland Road before heading back along Rosia Road and finishing at Campion Park after passing through Queensway.

The race also saw the emergence into the senior ranks of a number of Lourdians youth athletes who have recently been attracting attention with their performances.

Among the most notable were the Robert Patterson sisters, who were to dictate the female field, with the twins taking first and second place.

Veteran long-distance runner Faye Morse also did well to finish third in the women’s category in what was a very different event from those she is used to. A regular competitor in long-distance events, including races over 90km and 100km, Morse faced a far faster-paced race than she was accustomed to. Nevertheless, she showed her strengths with a strong finish, although she remained some distance behind the two young teenage runners.

The race marked the beginning of a new format for the Road Racing calendar. The GibFibre Road Racing League will this season have a men’s champion, a women’s champion and an overall team champion.

For the first time, men’s and women’s points will be combined to determine one Overall Team Champion.

Described as “eight races, four championships, one league”, the GibFibre Road Racing League 2026/27 will see the top three men’s and women’s teams receive trophies, alongside a trophy for the overall team champions.

Up to three men and three women will score points for each team in every race, with all eight races counting towards the final standings. Points accumulated throughout the season will determine the champions.

The four championships will feature races over 3km, 5km, 10km and 10-mile distances. The association has also indicated that the men’s and women’s podiums will share each championship’s prize pool equally, with 25%, 15% and 10% allocated to the respective podium positions.

Teams completing three of the four championships will earn a championship participation medal.

Members of the new council and committee were also present at the race as the GAAA heads into a new era.

The high number of participants was seen as a positive sign.