Mr. Ray Harvey, chairman of the organizing committee and co-founder of Western Relays, announced that the late journalist, author and track and field historian Hubert Lawrence will be honoured at this year’s 46th staging of the meet on Saturday, February 8 at GC Foster College.
Lawrence never missed a Western Relays meet during the last thirty-five years.
He started to attend Western Relays when it was being held at Cornwall College and followed it to the incomplete Catherine Hall Stadium in the heart of the city.
He also attended the meet when it was first held at GC Foster College in 2009 and 2010, when the meet was forced to relocate in order to access an all-weather track as none was available in Montego Bay due to the fact that the stadium was being completed.
The meet eventually returned to Montego Bay but had to return to GC Foster College in 2019 because the track in the west is unsafe for athletes to use.
Over the many years of Lawrence’s attendance at the meet, he wrote extensively about it, the athletes’ performances, the importance of the track that was the cradle for many athletes who represent Jamaica on the regional and international stages.
Additionally, Lawrence always contributed an article to the event magazine where he explored many topics of his choice. He also contributed in other capacities such as meet announcer and analysist.
His suggestions and recommendations over the years have contributed to the world class relay carnival that Western Relays has become. The sum total of his value to the meet goes far beyond those specific items listed. He will be sorely missed but the legacy of his contribution lives on.
His final article in the event magazine titled ‘A Glimmer of Hope’ was about the unavailability of Catherine all Stadium to stage track and field events.
An excerpt from that article reads “The Relays and Western Champs are glorious events when held at the Hall, filled with colour and school pride. That venue gave Western track and field a centre easily reached by those from northern parishes and southern parishes. Its return cannot come too soon.”
The event schedule will feature the throws - discus and shot put for all classes for girls and boys at the high school level for the second time after being introduce in 2024. The invitational 60M for clubs and institutions also will be on the schedule again based on request from the coaches at the senior level.
The other events on the day, which will begin at 10:00 am are relays - all classes for prep, primary, high schools and clubs and institution, hurdles - all classes, field events to include long jump, triple jump and high jump, sprint races 100M, 400M and 800M, 3000M and the 1500M. The meet will start with the 400M Hurdles this year.