DAVID Riley, chief organiser of the Wesley Powell PA Benjamin Track and Field Meet, has announced that all preparations are in place for a highly successful 20th staging of the event this weekend.

Scheduled for Saturday at Excelsior High School starting at 8:30 am, the meet’s future has been secured for at least the next five years due to increased involvement from PA Benjamin Manufacturing Company.

Riley told the Jamaica Observer that the build-up to this year’s edition has been outstanding, with over 1,100 entries.

“The feedback has been good because we have over 1,100 athletes entered. And the change in the order of events has changed the dynamics of things, with the 150-metre races running later in the afternoon as opposed to early in the morning, and so that should be an interesting event as well,” he said.

“This meet has always been one that people are looking forward to because it is more like a training squad meet, and so many people come out in huge numbers just to get some competition other than what is in their training environment running the same distances.

“These are distances that they will be training at, and just to get competitive at those distances, and just to see where they are going into the competition season,” Riley said.

The events slated for competition include the 150m, 300m, 600m, 1000m, 3000m for females; 5000m for males; the 4x300m relays for high schools; and a mixed 4x300m for primary schools. Field events will feature the long and high jumps and shot put, with an added exhibition pole vault event.

Riley noted that the inclusion of the Class Four 600m event for younger athletes preparing for their respective prep and primary school competitions aims to assist athletes gearing up for longer distances like the 800m at primary champs and the 400m at prep champs.