It’s all set for the 49th staging of the Gibson McCook Relays at the National Stadium says Reverend Ryan Peralto, the entries and registration chairman.

Peralto said he is expecting a bumper crowd inside the venue for the shortened format.

For the second time in the history of the Gibson McCook Relays there will be no heat, only straight finals. The relay carnival is scheduled to start at 4:00 pm instead of the usual 9:30 am and is scheduled to be completed by 8:45 pm.

“The reduced format — the big thing for us is the number of spectators in the seats. That’s what makes a huge difference in the financial picture for the Gibson McCook Relays,” said Peralto.

“So it all comes down to that — the attendance. We have the sponsor — that’s great — that allows us to run the meet, but the spectators are what bring us the real success factor on the financial side. So we’re hoping for that,” he pointed out.

There will be 42 events, including 17 championship events, with a special $75,000 prize for any records broken.

A total of 77 schools featuring approximately 1,500 athletes are down to complete. There is also space on the schedule for invitational 60m dash for both men and women.

Teams from Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, and the United States of America will match skills with their Jamaican counterparts.

The first set of events will be in the field, starting with the men’s high jump, pole vault, and women’s long jump, all starting at 4:00 pm and ending with the high school boys 4×400 relay at 8:45 pm.

At 6:15 pm, fans will get a chance to see world champions and Olympic silver medallist Kishane Thompson, Bryan Levell, Ackeem Blake, along with the promising trio of Bouwahjgie Nkrumie, Deandre Daley, and Gary Card in the 60m dash.

The women’s 60m event will have 2025 World Championships silver medallist and Sportswoman-of-the-Year Tina Clayton and her twin sister Tia, the 2024 Olympic Games 100m final finalist.

They are to be challenged by Levanya Williams, Jonielle Smith, Natasha Morrison, Jodean Williams, Shaniqua Bascombe of Trinidad and Tobago, and Anthonique Strachan of The Bahamas.

Then, at 6:30 pm, there will be an interesting men’s 1500m involving several Africans from local high schools pitting skills against each other.

Kenya’s Ryan Achau of St Jago High is the big favourite ahead of Jamaica College’s Evan Tetteh and Dominic Amponsah of Ghana. Jamaica College Class Three prodigy Julius Itubo of Kenya is entered against the Class One boys and it will be left to see how he copes. Thywaine Sterling of William Knibb High should be the best of the local-bred crop.

Outside of bragging rights, the high school athletes will be sharpening their skills for the Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships set for March 24-28, and the stage is set for an evening of exciting races and in the field events.

Jamaica sprinter Tia Clayton reacts during the Gibson McCook Relays at the National Stadium on February 22, 2025. (Photo: Garfield Robinson)