The change in course for this year's Go Guyana Run Marathon is in keeping with new loop route currently adopted in international competitions.

According to a press release from the organisers a decision was made to take up the challenge to use the new route which will start from the Police Sports Club, Eve Leary, to the East Coast public road to Enmore, where the athletes would turn from the railway embankment road, proceed along the East Coast road and finish at the place of origin.

The race previously began at Mahaicony and ended at Eve Leary in one way run. But last year the course was deemed to be longer than the 26.2 miles stipulation by some of the foreign runners including world rated Pamenos Ballantyne who won.

More than US$4000 in prize money will be at stake this year in the Banks DIH/GEB Security Services sponsored race on April 7.

The winner of the male open category will take home US$1200, while the second and third place finishers will receive US$800 and US$500 respectively.

The first female will receive US$800, while the second and third place finishers will pocket US$500 and US$300 respectively.

A $10,000 cash award will also be on offer for the athlete that breaks the national record of two hours, 35 minutes 28 seconds.

The first male Guyanese finisher will take home $30,000 and the first female Guyanese $20,000, while the team to cross the finish line first will receive $25,000.

A team must have six competitors, but the times of the first five will be used to determine the winners and each team must be registered with the Amateur Athletic Association of Guyana for the 2002 season under the same club/school.

The fourth place finisher in the male open category will receive $25,000 while the fifth and sixth place finishers will receive $20,000 and $18,000 respectively.

Cash prizes will be awarded to the first 15 male open finishers and the first five female open finishers.

The winners of the boys and girls Under-20 categories will receive $15,000 each while the second and third place finishers in the two categories will take home $10,000 and $5000 respectively in each of the two categories.

The winner of the male 40-49 years, 50-60 and 60 plus age groups will pocket $10,000 each while second and third place finishers in the three age groups will receive $7000 and $5000 respectively.

In the P.W.D's segment which is a half marathon consisting of three categories - blind and visually impaired, wheelchair and below and above knee amputees - the first male and female finishers in the blind and visually impaired category will receive a trophy and $10,000 while the second and third place finishers will each collect $6000 and $4000 respectively along with a trophy.

The winners for the amputees and wheelchair categories will a trophy and $15,000 and $20,000 respectively.