The Tribune

By TENAJH SWEETING

Tribune Sports Reporter

tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

THE William “Knucklehead” Johnson Cross Country Invitational is scheduled to begin at 7:30am on Saturday.

The sixth edition of the long distance event will take place at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex Golf Course, located across from Road Traffic.

The event is set to host more than 500 competitors from various clubs and schools from New Providence as well as from Andros and Abaco.

The event was named in honour of 1,500 metres national record holder, William Johnson.

The long distance athlete stopped the clock at 3:45.72 in Austin, Texas in 1983 and the feat has remained unchanged four decades later.

Rupert Gardiner, the event’s organiser and long-time friend of Johnson, said it was a privilege to have this event for a sixth year in his honour.

“It is a good event in its sixth year and it is good to honour somebody who did a lot for the country in the private and government systems and it is also particularly great because you have to give people their flowers while they are alive,” Gardiner said.

The meet will include a half mile, 1k, 2k, 3k and a mile run. The divisions will host athletes from under 7 to under 20.

Additionally, there will be an open category for men and women.

Gardiner, who also competed in long distance events, said the frequency of cross country events is good as the athletics programmes try to identify more distance athletes.

“It is good for the long distance runners because the country is now building on long distance and it has been a while since we had a good set of long distance athletes. “This is a good time for coaches to see exactly where their distance programmes are at and where it is headed in the future,” he said.

The longstanding 1,500m national record of Johnson, has led to some questions about how to improve the amount of athletes running in long distance events.Gardiner gave some advice to coaches around The Bahamas.

“We have got to convince the kids that they are long distance runners because everybody wants to be sprinters, but everyone cannot be sprinters. Let the kids run cross country and you will be able to find good distance athletes,” he said.

Event organisers are encouraging the public to come out and support the athletes at the sixth William “Knucklehead” Johnson Cross Country Invitational this weekend.