The 44th staging of the popular Gibson-McCook Relays (GMR) is set to light up National Stadium once again as over 200 schools and over 3,000 athletes are down to compete in what is expected to be the best in years.

The GMR, which was started in 1975, is arguably the best-run track and field meet in Jamaica. Originally named in memory of Bishop Percival Gibson, the founder and first headmaster of Kingston College, this annual relay carnival is also the longest-running athletic event in Jamaica, followed by the ISSA Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships.

In its first 40 years of existence, the driving force behind the Gibson Relays was Teddy McCook, who created an organisation, Gibson Relays Organising Committee (GROC), that has maintained the high standards of efficiency and dedication that have come to characterise the event. Today, it is fittingly named the Gibson-McCook Relays.

Action is set to begin at 9:00 am with the preliminaries of the 4×400 relays followed by the first final, that of the men’s pole vault at 10:14 am and the heats of the 4x100m relays.

All eyes will be on the Edwin Allen Class Two quartet of Serena Cole, Brandy Hall and the Clayton twins – Tia and Tina. They sped to an astonishing 43.80 at Central Championship and fans will want to see if they can challenge the World junior record of 43.27 held by mostly 18-year-old Germans since 2017.

The Gibson Relays will, for the first time, also see an overseas-based team compete as the MVP International club with Jamaicans Akeem Bloomfield, Nathon Allen, and Martin Manley, along with Teray Smith and Andre Colebrook of The Bahamas and Jonthan Farinha of Trinidad and Tobago.

They will be competing in the 4×400 and Sprint Medley and will take on Jamaica’s Racers, the local arm of MVP and Sprintec.

The usual battle for boys’ high school supremacy will be hot with Kingston College, Calabar High, Jamaica College, St Jago, Excelsior High, Edwin Allen, and St Elizabeth Technical High (STETHS).

The 4×100, the 4×400, 4×800, and the Sprint Medley are shaping up to be the best in years based on the form shown by these teams.

On the girls’ side, Edwin Allen are expected to dominate, but Hydel High will push them every step of the way in all relays.

The relays will take a break at 3:30 pm to accommodate the opening ceremony and entertainment with the finals set to begin at 4:00 pm with the One Mile Open for men and women. The 4x400m will bring the curtains down at 9:00 pm.

For the first time at the GMR, ticket holders will get a chance to win cash prizes ranging from $5,000 to $10,000 with a grand prize of $100,000. There will be four prizes of $5000 dollars and four of $10,000.

Furthermore, Digicel will be sponsoring the Best Performing High School boys and girls with $100,000 each. The Best Overall Performance will receive the Teddy McCook trophy and $150,000 from Digicel. Every championship event record breaker will get $75,000. Ther are 15 championship events.