Late start to Milo Relays

The organizers of the 34th Milo Western Relays have taken the bold step to delay the start of the meet to 1p.m., three hours after the regular 10 a.m. start.

The event, the first major track meet on the JAAA’s calendar will be held on Saturday, February 11th at the Montego Bay Sports Complex and will attract some of the top high school and club athletes in the island.

Meet Director Ray Harvey said the move was made to facilitate both athletes and patrons and given the presence of floodlights at the facility, the decision was “an easy one to make.

"With the facility having world class floodlights, it makes sense that we start the meet later to maximize the performance of the athletes as well as to ensure that more patrons get a chance to see the world class event we have here," he said.

Floodlights were used at the event for the first time last year and created history as the first track meet outside of Kingston to be held under artificial lights.

The meet will now run until 9 p.m., like all the other major events held at the national stadium, the Gibson Relays, The JAAA/JN International Invitational, ISSA Boys and Girls Champs and the National Trials.

The later start he said would give the track and sports fans a chance to see more of the meet as even if they get there at 3p.m., will see a significant portion of the events on the schedule.

The adjustments in the schedule, he said, would also see the sprint relays for high schools and clubs being contested in the late afternoon and evening when the temperatures are cooler, benefiting the sprinters.

Meanwhile, the event will be launched next Thursday at a press conference at the Jamaica Grandiosa Hotel starting at 10 a.m.