It will come as no surprise to anyone if one were to state that participation at road races is on the increase.
Just before Christmas, at the Mdina-Spinola, or M2S, there was a massive, record turnout. So were the numbers at the 25th Malta Marathon in the spring.
On a more modest scale, but also significant, 126 athletes turned up on the Siggiewi by-pass at the last encounter of this winter season’s road running league competition in November, moulding the league into an entertaining, close tussle, especially the team event for men.
Besides the early morning competition not being to everyone’s liking and with Jonathan Balzan absent, it was anybody’s guess who would capture the individual honours on the 5km route. Be it as it may, it was Mark Herrera, for Pembroke Athleta, perhaps making a comeback to long-distance racing, who rounded the last bend in front, to scoot up the slight hill finish in a time of 16 minutes 13 seconds. Hot on his heels was Gerald Grech, the Libertas front-runner finishing two seconds adrift and just ahead by another second from Charles Cilia of Mellieha, in a repeat of their finish at Tal-Maqluba.
With Brian Magri fourth, Drew Lang and Mario Pisani in ninth and tenth respectively, Pembroke Athleta not only made sure of winning this leg, but also ensured that they leap-frogged over Mellieha and the League leaders Zurrieq Wolves to go top of the table on 68 points.
Mellieha got in their four-some within the first eleven finishers to score 29 points and take their total to 70 while Zurrieq at this leg only managed 43 points, to fall to third place overall on 73 points.
So, with just five points separating these three teams, this competition promises to be one of the tightest ever battles for the honours.
Dominant in the women’s event, Lisa Marie Bezzina has her sights firmly set on making the grade to Liechtenstein for the 2011 Games for Small States. To make it a double for the Pembroke club, she finished the course on 18 minutes and 31 seconds – incidentally she won the M2S quite convincingly.
Rita Galea of St Patrick’s trailed her by just over half a minute. Angela Sammut, from the same club, came in third, and with Carmen Hili finishing fifth, the St Patrick club won another ten points to take their total to a formidable 20, leaving the other clubs adrift in the team event.
However, the tussle for the lesser women team prizes is still wide open, with Pembroke so far on 55 points. Mellieha and Zurrieq Wolves, amassing 61 and 65 points respectively, may, however, yet turn the tables, with another three legs still to go, the first of which falls on Sunday, 9 January, with the popular Qawra event, the race once again scheduled to start at 8am.
■ Anthony Fava
MAAA Communications
coordinator