ORGANISERS are aiming for more than 1,000 participants for the third staging of the Wolmer’s Ocean Spray Wata 5K Road Race and Relay set for Sunday, November 21.

The race, which starts and ends at Wolmer’s Boys’ School at National Heroes Circle, was conceptualised without a title sponsor three years ago with 500 participants and grew to 700 in 2009 with the backing of Wata.

This year, organising committee chairman David Riley, speaking at Wednesday’s launch at the school ground, said he hoped the total would go past the 1,000 mark to highlight some of the features Wolmer’s Boys’ incorporated to help the school win this year’s ISSA GraceKennedy Boys Championships.

The Wolmer’s Schools have produced a number of Olympic and World Championship medallists within the past two years, including Olympic champions Shelly Ann Fraser and Michael Frater, as well as high jump silver medallist Germaine Mason.

Current track team member Odean Skeen won Jamaica’s first and only gold medal (in the 100 metres) at the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in Singapore last July.

“We want it to be big… to have the kind of impact on the development of track and field,” Riley told the Observer. “The bigger it is the more we can demonstrate some of the different features that we’re using in our programme at Wolmer’s.

“We would like some of those things to be part of every track and field programme,” he added.

One such feature is a fitness report card and each road race participant will receive one courtesy of the title sponsors.

The card will provide personal information including height, weight, percentage body fat, water, muscle and calories measured during race time.

The 5K Road Race will begin at the Heroes Circle entrance of Wolmer’s Boys’ heading east, then north along Marescaux Road to Cross Roads, south along Slipe Road, east at Torrington Bridge, south down King Street, east at North Street, north along Duke Street to National Heroes Circle past the Ministries of Education and Finance and ending at the WBS school gate.

There will be water stops at the 2.2 kilometre and 4 kilometre marks.

The relay, which will consist of 4x 960-metre laps, will be open to primary and preparatory, high school, and open teams and will only cover the distance around the National Heroes Circle.

The event will be divided into categories for 12 and under, 12-14, 15-19, 20-30, and over 30 year olds. Corporate teams will also be allowed to enter a maximum of 12 persons.

The top three teams in the relay will win trophies and medals. The categories for those under 19 will also attract prizes of trophies and medals, while the top finishers over 20 will receive $12,000 each, with $7,500 going to second place and $4,000 to third.

Fifteen thousand dollars will go to the top male and female high school teams.

The first five schools to enter 30 participants will also receive 20 cases of Ocean Spray Wata, compliments of Wisynco.

“We believe that in terms of sports for youth it can have a really positive impact in their social development … there are so many benefits you can get out of it, not just the health benefits, but the entire package,” Ocean Spray country manager Tamara Ward, told the Observer.

“We’re going to continue to support (sporting) events,” she added.

Meanwhile, participants will also be treated to a lecture on how to qualify for an athletics scholarship to a college or university in the United States. The address will be made by Clemson University scout Mario Wilson.

Entries for the event close on Wednesday, November 17. Same-day registration will be allowed for all, except corporate teams.