Sport & Entertainment
JAM | Jan 23, 2025

Hubert Lawrence to be honoured at the 2025 Western Relays

Howard Walker

Howard Walker / Our Today

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Hubert Lawrence

The deceased athletics scholar Hubert Lawrence will be this year’s honouree at the 46th staging of the Western Relays meet on Saturday, February 8 at GC Foster College.

This was announced by the chairman of the organising committee and co-founder Ray Harvey, of Western Relays where it was said Lawrence never missed a meet during the last 35 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,” Harvey pointed out.

“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,” he added.

Lawrence, a journalist, author and renowned athletics analyst who was often called “encyclopaedia” for his vast knowledge at the tip of the fingers, was a respected figure in Jamaica and by extension the wider athletics world.

Hubert Lawrence represented St Jago High School at Table Tennis.

The former St Jago High alumni, who represented his school at table tennis, died suddenly on February 23 at the age of 63.

Lawrence was also a columnist for the Jamaica Gleaner and co-authored a number of books, including Power and Glory: Jamaica in World Athletics from WWII to the Diamond League Era and 50 Days of Fire.

Harvey said Lawrence wrote extensively about Western Relays over the years and always contributed an article to the event magazine where he explored many topics of his choice. He also contributed to other capacities such as meet announcer and analyst.

“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,” said Harvey.

“His final article in the event magazine titled ‘A Glimmer of Hope’ was about the unavailability of Catherine Hall 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’,” Harvey pointed out.

The Western Relays 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 introduced 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 institutions. Hurdles for all classes, field events to include long jump, triple jump and high jump, sprint races 100m, 400m and 800m, 3000m and the 1500m.

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