ORGANISERS of this year’s Gibson McCook Relays said they believe Saturday’s staging could be the biggest in the history of the championship.

The one-day track and field spectacle, celebrating its 50th year, will see 2,100 athletes participating in 43 events, where a few records have been forecast.

Sprint legend Usain Bolt is the patron for this year’s meet.

Professor Rainford Wilks, chairman for the organising committee, told the Jamaica Observer that based on the feedback he has been receiving and the interest by media, he is expecting an excellent turnout at the National Stadium on Saturday.

“I think that we have not had this level of promotion for a long time and probably never had, and so we are very pleased with the level of promotion and advertising that the meet has gotten — both in terms of straightforward advertising and interviews — and I am hoping that it will convert into the attendance at the meet,” said Wilks.

“We have definitely gone all out to ensure that the event returns to its normal self and so I am hoping that everything will work out for us. We are expecting over 2000 athletes on Saturday and so I am optimistic that the spectators will come out in their numbers — and the feedback is that we will have a good crowd,” he added.

Wilks says he wants to put the experience of last year behind him, where the business side failed to live up to expectation.

“Last year the ticket sales were inefficient and therefore we lost some money, but this year we are hoping to return to some level of normality and right now we are cautiously optimistic about everything,” he said. Wilks shared that he expects the competition on the track to be keen.

“There has been a lot of rivalry between the schools, and so much so that several pundits are not prepared to name a winner of any of the events and so that is bound to add to the excitement,” Wilks said. Prize money totalling US$50,000 (about $7.7 million) will be shared among the finalists in both the men’s and women’s 60 metres races. The winners are set to pocket US$10,000 each ($1.5 million). All eight finalists in both 60m events will collect cash prizes.

Wilks pointed out that this money will be a good incentive for the athletes to go out and put on an excellent show for the fans.

“We have put up a lot of money for the elite athletes but some of the top ones are not showing up — and that is a little disappointing. But for those who come, it will be a good payday for the two 60-metre races,” he said.

— Robert Bailey