For the 11th year running the Athletic Section of Pembroke Athleta will again keep its date with the athletic calendar on Sunday 3 April.

Hosting these popular road races in the quiet, urban, new town of Pembroke with its wide open spaces and spilling over to the equally modern Swieqi, has proved to be a winning combination with the younger generations as with the many followers of the sport.

Confirmed applications already received numbering well over 1,200, the majority being school children from the primary and private schools.

One secret of this success is the high safety factor set as the main goal of the organisers. This is fully backed by the two local councils, who are instrumental, in collaboration with the Commissioner of Police and his officers, in helping the Traffic Wardens and many race marshals to keep control of these morning events.

The presence of medical staff together with the St John’s Ambulance Brigade providing instant care speaks well of the precautions planned.

The main event, the 10km open challenge, once more sponsored by Red Bull, starts at 8.30am, with the leading runners from the best athletic clubs on the island following the cue of none other than Carol Galea, flying the flag for Pembroke Athleta. The other leading protagonists at events over this distance this year, Jonathan Balzan in the yellow green strip of St Patrick’s and his nearest challenger Mark Herrera, the leading male athlete complimenting Carol at the club, will provide a sporting battle for the men’s title. Due to road works on the Triq Mediterran stretch, between the third and the fifth kilometres, the course this year has been re-routed into a winding pattern.

Following last year’s experiment it has been decided to retain the 5km race to which Fexco Western Union lends its name and which starts at the same time as the longer race, following the same route as last year.

Entry for this event is reserved for athletes born sometime in 1989 or older. Gatorade is now synonymous with the 1.3km Fun Run, by far the most popular and greatly enjoyed by children aged six to 16 and more in which older siblings and a good number of parents accompany the little ones.

This event will start at 10am after much fun and games to be enjoyed by all children present, animators providing entertainment prior to the event, accompanied by face painting and lively music.

The last two races that make up the morning cover 3km, with the event sponsored by Sedqa reserved for the cadet category, that is, children born sometime in 1992 or 1993, scheduled to start at 11am.

The morning’s fun will be wrapped up with the start of the final race at 11.30am. Forever young Nike – Urban Jungle, sponsors this event for youths born in 1990 or in 1991.

As is now the custom, all finishers will be presented with a medal, a bag full of delights donated by various sponsors, a colourful wall poster, a T-shirt and a certificate of participation sent by post. With the exception of the Fun Run there will be trophies for the first three finishers in the 5km race, the first four in the 3kms and the first five in the 10km race. All prizes will be repeated for the female entries.

Cash vouchers will be awarded to the first three winners of the main race and the first in each of the age veteran categories. The first male and first female in the 10km will also receive a six month membership at the Westin Dragonara Hotel Gym; the first residents from Pembroke and Swieqi, in the 10km event as well as in the fun run, shall receive a special trophy.

In all the other competitive races each age category winner all also receive a trophy. A new shield, donated by the Mayor of Pembroke, will be presented for the highest entry from any one school, to be kept until next year.