Aided by a compassionate opponent, Rolstan Pamphile of the Choiseul Secondary School, dug deep over the final two kilometers to win the overall first place in the male division the 2010 Saint Lucia Secondary Schools Road Race last Friday in a time of 50 minutes, 8.82 seconds.

The Race started opposite the Daher Building in Vieux Fort along a route that took runners onto the Vieux-Fort Highway and left into the La Ressource Highway at the junction near the George Odlum Stadium.

Competitors then turned left on to St Jude’s Highway at the junction next to the Windward and Leeward Brewery Limited to its junction with the Laborie – Vieux-Fort Highway and to the finish opposite the Daher Building.

Pamphile who is a CARIFTA gold medalist stopped four times on the route. Assisting him each time was first runner-up Manassah Ettienne of Paiye Secondary School. His finishing time was 5O minutes 17.69 seconds.

Ettienne would touch Pamphile’s hand and encourage him to keep going. On the third occasion when Pamphile stopped soon after passing the Vieux-Fort Comprehensive Secondary School Campus ‘B’ Ettienne stopped with. The pair walked about 20 metres before they were off and running again.

When Pamphile realized that Ettienne was unable to respond to his increased speed near the Coco Dan Bridge, he was not so compassionate. He increased the tempo of his pace and went on to win the 2010 title.

Following Ettienne in third place overall was Aaron Lionel of the Choiseul Secondary School in 51 minutes 17.69 seconds.

Lyla Joseph of the Paiye Secondary School ran a lone race throughout. Although suffering severe discomfort as a result of running bare-footed on the hot surface, she nevertheless finished in 1 hour 7 minutes 49.21 seconds to for first place overall in the female category.

Johnita Gustave of the Vieux-Fort Technical School crossed the finish line in 1 hour 11 minutes 36.74 seconds to win the second female overall trophy.

Third female overall was Darnel Serieux of the Micoud Secondary School in a time of 1 hour 11 minutes 56.06 seconds.