The athletics season kicks into high gear today with three development meets spread across St Catherine and Manchester — the Douglas Forrest Invitational at G C Foster College; the JAAA/Puma Pat Anderson Development Meet at Kirkvine, and the Charlie Fuller field events.

The 13th staging of Douglas Forrest Invitational, which starts at 8:30 am, will see 26 track and 26 field events with the 400-metre hurdles opening the programme.

The venue has two long jump and two high jump areas that will be used to complete the events for Classes One, Two, Three, and Four boys and girls, while the triple jump will be an open event.

Brian Smith, chairman of the Douglas Forrest organising committee, said the biggest challenge, however, is the 200 metres, where some of the classes have too many heats and there are no lights at the G C Foster track, but every effort will be made to get through all of the races.

The customary medley Open for boys and girls will not be held again because of no lights, and the 4×400 metres relay open for boys and girls will be the last two events of the day.

Defending ISSA Boys’ Champs champions Calabar High will be out in their numbers at the Douglas Forrest meet and should dominate.

Star athlete Christopher Taylor will once again be on display, having opened his season with an effortless 21.50sec clocking in the 200m at the Chantique-Tyser-Mills Classics at G C Foster College on December 11.

Patrons are asked to pay an admission fee of $300 to attend the meet.

Meanwhile, Calabar’s fierce rivals Kingston College will send the brunt of the their athletes to the JAAA/Puma Development Meet at Kirkvine, Manchester. Start time is 9:00 am sharp with $500 for entry fee.

The events to be contested are the 3,000m female, 5,000m male, 200m male and female all classes, 400m male and female all classes, 800m male and female all classes, 1,500m, 4x800m Open male & female.

The third staging of the Charlie Fuller field events meet takes place at Manchester High School.

The meet is named in honour of the Kingston College past student Fuller, who was a well known track and field official and statistician. He died in 2013 at the age of 66.

The events to be contested are discus, shot put, high jump, long jump, triple jump and javelin. Action starts at 9:00 am.