Three schools and 38 athletes took part in the first-ever Zepherinus Joseph Cross-Country Meet on November 22, at the Dames Recreation Park in Vieux Fort. Micoud Secondary School (MSS) and Leon Hess Comprehensive Secondary School (LHCSS) took the top prizes for boys and girls, respectively. Lead organiser Zepherinus Joseph, national record holder for men’s marathon and a 2002 Olympian in that event, said he was pleased to have been able to get his dream project underway, and he is looking forward to doing it bigger and better in 2026.
MSS, Joseph’s alma mater, won the boys’ event behind Michael Eliotte’s run of 15:33, nearly 30 seconds ahead of the LHCSS duo of Shaquan Xavier (16:01) and Trale Constantine (16:12). Micoud ended with 28 points.
In sunny conditions, Akiaha Weekes and Jayula Sayers led the LHCSS girls to a 32-point finish over the 4.6-kilometre course. Weekes came in at 20:11, 13th overall. Sayers ended in 20:32, 15th overall. Febe Thomas of Micoud (21:44) was third among the girls.
Joseph, a cross-country star for Central Arizona College and University of North Florida in the USA, explained that the sport contributes to building strength and stamina for athletes across all sports, but especially for track and field.
“My aim is to try and develop the long distance programme in Saint Lucia, try to get some future Olympians. I’ve been the only long distance runner to make it to the Olympics. So I want some of the other kids to experience the Olympics, hopefully be a medal winner at the Olympics.
“I’m very, very satisfied with how things turned out for the first time,” he continued. “Three schools showed up on the day: Hess, Choiseul, and my alma mater, MSS. So that alone made my day. Most of the schools were interested, but because of exams, were unable to participate. The students enjoyed the event, and they are already looking forward to next year. I now know the red tape I have to deal with, so it will be dealt with early. I’m looking at having the event a bit earlier so that it doesn’t clash with exams, late September or early October.”
Joseph did, however, express his disappointment that he was unable to involve younger athletes at the infancy of the event. The plan had been to have two divisions, with district teams competing in the junior category.
“I’m a bit sad that we were unable to have the primary school athletes,” he shared. “But next year they will definitely be part of this event. I want to thank all my sponsors and the volunteers, because without them, this event would not have been possible.”
One of the volunteers was Verneta Lesporis, curriculum officer for physical education at the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Science, Technology, and Vocational Training. An Olympian and national record holder for the women’s 400m, Lesporis welcomed the addition of this initiative to the school sports calendar.
“I think this cross-country event is a groundbreaking event,” she opined. “For many years we’ve talked about not having a cross-country event for our distance runners to participate in. We have the road races at the schools. However, road races and cross-country are two separate events. And so, having this cross-country event really exposes the athletes to another event where they can display their talents. So I am really happy that it came through this year. Zepherinus has been talking about it for many years, and I am happy the athletes got a chance to participate in a new event.”
Lesporis went on to note that the event should become one of the most important and impactful on the school sports calendar, as the sport provides opportunities for scholarships and international competition for distance runners.
“It shows them that there are other avenues,” she explained. “Distance runners don’t always have to stay on the track, they don’t always have to stay on the road. It’s 2025; cross-country is a major event around the world, so it’s good to have our students exposed to that kind of event.”
