SOME 4,000 athletes representing 298 teams will take part at the 35th staging of the Gibson Relays set for the National Stadium on March 12.

Postponed from the February 26 due to the unavailability of the National Stadium which is undergoing repairs, the Gibson Relays will offer 35 events, including the sprint hurdles and long jump for men and women.

Chairman of the organising committee Neville ‘Teddy’ McCook acknowledged the corporate leaders for “standing firm” with the competition, as all 35 events were sponsored, particularly the eight championship races in the 4x100m, 4x800m, and 4x400m relays.

Marketing manager of Pepsi-Cola Jamaica Bottling Company Ltd, Carlo Redwood, announced at the launch held in The Venetian Room of the Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel that the record-breaker programme was increased from $500,000 to $800,000.

“All record breakers will get a share of the $800,000, so if there is only one record-breaker, the person will get all the money,” he explained.

Redwood noted that he would also be offering tickets for buyers of Gatorade as soon as the Gibson Relays organising committee made them available.

Meanwhile Winston Ulett, a member of the organising committee, announced that 105 high schools, 46 clubs, 48 all-age and junior high schools, 20 preparatory, 18 primary, eight masters and eight Special Olympians will take part in the meet.

Will there be any overseas participation?

“The Canadians I don’t think are going to make it this year. A team from Florida is having a problem with the change of date, but we are expecting Martinique, a team from Birmingham, in England, and there are a couple people seeking qualification as the Gibson Relays is an IAAF qualifying meet. These we all be finalised by the end of this week,” Ulett added.

However, he is encouraging teams to finalise their events by today, the closing day for entries, as the competition is “running tight for space”.

Dairy Industries, Security Administrators, One Kick Battery, Guardian Life, Rainbow Awnings, Petcom, Berger King and Western Union secured the championship events of 4x100m High School Boys Class 1, 4x100m High School Girls Under-19, 4x100m Institutional Men, 4x800m High Schools Boys Open, 4x800m High School Girls Open, 4x400m Institutional Men, 4x400m High School Girls Open, and 4x400m High School Boys Open.

Other sponsors of events are Advanced Scales, Child’s Play, Citibank, COK, Digicel, First Caribbean International, Gas Products, General Accident, Grace Foods, Henkel, Interactive Voice Solutions, Jamaica Biscuit Company, Jamaica Public Service, Laribo Marketing, NACAC, National Commerical Bank, Nestle, Gatorade, Pepsi, Puma, Sagicor, Samsung, Seprod, Sherwin Williams, Singer, The Art Printery, and VMBS.

The Gibson Relays is expected to be the first competition on the newly refurbished National Stadium track which was originally scheduled for completion by the end of this month.