As Caribbean distance running continues to grow its competitive profile across regional events, Barbadian athletes turned in standout performances at Sunday’s Venture Credit Union 5K hosted in Trinidad, with veteran runner Carlie Robinson using the race as a critical preparation step for October’s high-profile Mizuno Half Marathon in Amsterdam.
Robinson, a seasoned competitor with a string of regional results under her belt, secured a podium spot in the women’s open division, crossing the finish line in 18 minutes and 33 seconds to claim third place. She held her own against a stacked field of top regional runners, finishing only behind two leading athletes from the host nation Trinidad and Tobago: Nyla Kerr, a rising middle-distance star who claimed gold in the 1500-meter event at the 2026 CARIFTA Games, took the top spot with a time of 17:48, while Alexia John followed closely in second at 17:52.
The result comes on the heels of a major career milestone for Robinson earlier this year. In June, she notched her most significant career win to date, taking home the title at the CARICOM Chairman’s Cup Elite 10K hosted in Saint Lucia, cementing her status as one of the region’s top female distance runners.
In the men’s open race, Trinidad’s Tafari Waldron claimed the top prize with a winning time of 14:30. He was followed across the line by Kenyan runner Alex Ekesa, who finished second in 15:02, and Trinidadian Donnell Francis, who rounded out the men’s podium in 15:37. Barbados also had another strong showing in the men’s division: Joshua Hunte finished sixth overall with a time of 16:25 and additionally took home a prize in his age-group category.
The dual strong performances from Robinson and Hunte marked a notable Barbadian presence at the regional 5K event, shining a spotlight on the consistent progress and rising competitiveness of the island nation’s distance running program on the Caribbean competitive circuit. For Robinson in particular, the solid podium finish serves as a promising confidence boost and key training test as she enters the final phase of preparation for the Amsterdam half marathon next month.