For Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) President Keith Wellington, the decision to move the 100m finals from day four to two at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships (Champs) was always about protecting athletes, in spite of the public backlash the body expected for the decision.

Each year, more than 2,000 athletes compete at Champs, but only a small number go on to have professional careers. One of the reasons often raised is athlete burnout. This has been a key concern in local junior athletics, especially with the country’s heavy focus on sprinting.

In response, ISSA changed the schedule in 2019 to ease the pressure on young athletes and present more recovery time between events.

Under the old system, sprinters would often run multiple rounds of both the 100m and 200m before a 100m final. Now, the 100m is done earlier, giving athletes a better chance to be fresh for one of Champs’s marquee events.

While Wellington stands by the decision as he sees it bearing fruit with regards to athlete welfare, he says he can’t help but feel disappointment.

“From an athlete and coaches perspective, it has gone really, really well,” Wellington told the Jamaica Observer on Thursday. “If you look at the performances over those seasons, you’d recognise that there has been significant improvement.”

He mentioned fast times in recent years as proof that the change is working. Athletes are arriving at finals in better condition and running quicker — something he says would have been harder under the old format.

But while the athletes may be benefiting, attendance has not improved on day two.

Champs crowds usually build towards Friday and Saturday, when the event doubles as a major social outing.

“I’m very disappointed in that regard,” Wellington said. “We wanted patrons to come out and support the activities, we felt that there was value for money, but we didn’t get many persons coming out yesterday and we are disappointed with that.”

The low turnout came despite ISSA lowering bleacher ticket prices to $500 this year, with proceeds going towards recovery efforts after Hurricane Melissa, particularly for schools in western Jamaica.

Wellington says the numbers for day two were not what ISSA wanted them to be, even though the the National Stadium will likely be at capacity this weekend.

“We still get good crowds on Saturday and Friday because many persons planned for the weekend as a sort of social activity,” he said. “So they come out irrespective of what is happening. But from a track and field perspective, I’m very disappointed.”

Wellington says part of the issue is timing. Midweek events pose a challenge to attract big crowds, especially when patrons have work and school the next day.

“We will have to look at what can be done to attract persons out,” he said. “It’s the middle of the week, but I am disappointed that we have so many schools in Kingston, and yet even for a half of the day, we don’t see the students coming out to support their peers.”

Since the schedule change, Champs has seen legacy performances, with Bouwaghjie Nkrumie setting a Champs record of 9.99 seconds in the Class One Boys’ 100m when representing Kingston College in 2023, while Alana Reid ran 10.94 that year in the girls’ equivalent, setting a national junior record in the process.

Holland High’s Shanoya Douglas ran 10.98 seconds in the Class One Girls’ 100m on Wednesday to move to fourth on that all-time national junior list.

ISSA President Keith Wellington

Excelsior’s Riquelme Reid (right) wins the Boys’ Class One 100m final at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships in a time of 10.12 seconds, finishing ahead of St George’s College’s Tyreece Foreman, 10.21 at the National Stadium on Wednesday, March 25, 2026. (Photo: Garfield Robinson)