In an impressive display of athletic prowess, national middle-distance runners Nicholas Romany and Aniqah Bailey emerged victorious at the fourth annual Hardest Mile race held on December 26. The event provided thrilling alternative entertainment for spectators during the Boxing Day horse-racing festivities at Santa Rosa Park in Arima.
Over 100 determined runners tackled the demanding sandy terrain in pursuit of conquering the challenging one-mile course. Nicholas Romany demonstrated exceptional strategic racing, timing his final move perfectly to overtake Christopher Mitchell on the last bend. Romany crossed the finish line in an impressive 5 minutes and 1 second, securing the men’s title. Mitchell, who had maintained the lead for much of the race, finished just three seconds behind at 5:04 to claim second place.
Darius Harding captured third position in the men’s category with a time of 5:07, followed by Keron Ali (5:18) and former Carifta boys’ under-20 5,000-meter champion Tafari Waldron (5:29) in fourth and fifth places respectively.
Seventeen-year-old Aniqah Bailey delivered a remarkable performance in the women’s category, successfully defending her title with a significantly improved time of 5:52 compared to her previous winning time of 6:57. The rising star Nyla Kerr, aged just 14, claimed second place with a time of 6:04, demonstrating exceptional promise for future competitions.
The women’s category saw intense competition for third place, with Alexia John (6:29) narrowly edging out April Francis (6:31). Twelve-year-old Chennai Moore completed the top five with a time of 6:41, also earning second place in the girls’ under-14 age group behind Kerr.
Additional age category winners included Haqpera Khafra (women’s 20-29), Guswil George (men’s 40-49), Bauke Groen (men’s 50-59), and Beatrice Charles, who impressed in the women’s 60-plus category. The event showcased both elite athletic talent and inspiring participation across multiple age groups, highlighting the growing popularity of alternative sporting events during traditional holiday celebrations.