The San Pedro Town Council Sports Department hosted its first track and field time trials on Monday, August 3rd, at the Ambergris Stadium, marking the start of a new performance-based program to develop young athletes and strengthen the island’s track and field team. The event began at 4PM and featured competitors in the 12-14 age group’s 800-meter event and the 15-17 age group’s 1,600-meter event, along with exhibition 400-meter races for children aged 8 to 11.
The trials were organized to establish official times, measure athletes’ progress, and identify competitors who have the potential to join San Pedro’s high-performance training program. San Pedro Town Council Sports Coach Kian Trejo explained that the National Sports Council has asked local organizers to begin recording official times for primary and secondary school athletes, and the initiative is intended to support that effort.
Trejo said the program is part of a long-term plan to prepare young athletes for competition beyond San Pedro. He explained that participants will be evaluated every three to four months, with their performances determining who remains in the program and who may qualify for additional training opportunities. He added that the goal is to build a balanced team with opportunities for both male and female athletes.
According to Trejo, the first step is to establish measurable results and identify each athlete’s current ability. He noted that future sessions will also include warm-up exercises and running drills to assess participants’ understanding of proper race preparation and technique. All athletes who took part in the inaugural trials received certificates of participation. As the program continues, the top five male and female athletes who meet the qualifying standards will earn places in the high-performance training groups.
Results from the opening time trials saw Aiden record the fastest time in the 400 meters, finishing in 1:52.26, followed by Alex in 1:53.27, Raiden in 2:11.67, and Alexandra in 2:25.88. In the 800 meters, Josh completed the race in 3:58, while Izan crossed the finish line in 4:56. In the 1,600 meters, Lia recorded a time of 6:42.64. Organizers said the results from the inaugural trials will help guide future training sessions and prepare athletes for upcoming school and regional competitions.