On the morning of August 1, 42 runners ranging in age from 4 to 75 years old lined up along the Marisule-Bois d’Orange Highway for the annual Pompey Golden Mile, a community race that blends athletic competition with Emancipation Day commemoration. Organized by the John Pompey Foundation with on-the-ground support from the Morne Stars Athletics Club and official backing from the Saint Lucia Athletics Association, the event stretched from a starting line at Northern Electrical to a finish line outside Glace Supermarine, uniting runners of all ages and backgrounds from across Saint Lucia and beyond in a celebration of freedom and sport.
The 2026 iteration of the run featured a remarkably diverse field of participants: 16 runners under the age of 15, 21 competitors under 20, and five seasoned athletes over the age of 50. Competitors traveled from across the island, with groups joining from the southern districts of Dennery and Vieux Fort, a large contingent of club runners from the island’s north, and one international participant who traveled to Saint Lucia from Kenya via Trinidad and Tobago.
When the final runner crossed the finish line, Kenyan-born competitor Alex Ekesa claimed the men’s open title with a blistering time of 4:46.23. Asa Francis, a Vieux Fort native competing while home from studies at Coppin State University, took second place with a time of 4:51.38, while Kenrick James rounded out the men’s podium in 5:22.34. In the women’s division, Maiya Landers, a high school runner based in the United States, secured both the open women’s title and the junior women’s crown, crossing the line in 6:27.03 to place 14th overall. McKayla Olivier finished just 0.45 seconds behind Landers to take second place in the women’s open division, with Jayla Sayers claiming third in 6:37.03.
Additional age-group titles went to Traie Constantine, who finished first in the junior men’s division with a time of 5:43.59; Sheba Jn Pierre, who topped the Under-15 girls’ standings in 8:14.41; and Kaylee O’Reilly, who claimed the Under-15 boys’ title with a time of 9:06.84. The event also recognized its most experienced and youngest participants: Charles Sayers and Rose Marie Casimir were honored as the oldest male and female competitors, while Samiel Williams and Melania Etienne took pride of place as the youngest finishing runners.
For the John Pompey Foundation, an organization that has invested more than a decade into supporting youth development and grassroots sports across Saint Lucia, the Golden Mile is far more than a running race—it is a deliberate effort to tie athletic achievement to historical remembrance of Emancipation. John Pompey, founder of the foundation, framed the 2026 event as a fitting tribute to the meaning of the holiday. “This year’s run was a monument to freedom,” Pompey said in comments following the race. “Every stride taken on this historic day honours the path paved by past generations, proving that the pursuit of excellence is one of the truest expressions of liberty.”
Pompey extended gratitude to all participants who joined the celebration of freedom through sport, singling out event partners for their critical support. “We are indebted to Alex and all the other runners for coming out and celebrating strides of freedom with us,” he said. “I want to say a special note of thanks to Morne Stars Athletics Club, who did most of the organisation on the ground, and the Saint Lucia Athletics Association, especially Patrick Mathurin, who supported starting and timing.”
Beyond the annual Golden Mile, the John Pompey Foundation maintains a long-standing record of supporting community sports across the island. The organization has regularly donated barrels of sporting equipment, groceries, and food to grassroots athletic clubs throughout Saint Lucia, and has hosted community sports events including the Golden Mile for more than 10 years. Following the 2026 edition, foundation leadership declared the event a total success, highlighting the cross-generational turnout as a sign of the race’s growing resonance with local communities.