The Kiss Enriched Bread Road Running Series opens on Saturday, May 24, with a race in Diego Martin.
At yesterday's launch, at Crowne Plaza, in Port of Spain, Kiss Baking Company Limited marketing manager Rene De Gannes said the project's national scope made it an attractive proposition for his company.
"We initially expressed interest, but what made the idea even more appealing was the fact that the Series would be staged within various communities throughout the length and breadth of Trinidad and Tobago."
The Series continues on June 21 in Arima, and on July 26, a race will be staged in Chaguanas. Action shifts to San Fernando on August 23, while the Tobago race is scheduled for September 20. And on October 25, the Series concludes with a 15-kilometre race at the Queen's Park Savannah.
"We are hoping to unearth new talent from within the boroughs and towns of T&T," De Gannes explained, "in the hope that with professional advice and guidance, new champions may emerge unto the national and international scene.
"The fact that we have formed a partnership with the Trinidad and Tobago Road Runners Club (T&TRRC) means that there will be more of a dimension to the Series than mere competitive activity. An important facet of the overall sponsorship will be the Runners Workshops which precede all of the events.
"These workshops are designed to inform and educate both competitive and recreational athletes with a wealth of information, with the objective being to make better runners of each and every individual."
T&TRRC president Natalie Suite is excited about her organisation's partnership with Kiss.
"TTRRC has found its soulmate in Kiss...we've had an idea for a number of years that we wanted to do a running series similar to this, and take road running into the community...our seed fell on fertile ground when we spoke to Mr De Gannes from Kiss.
"We found that we had so much in common with our sponsors," Suite continued. "You put great ingredients in, you get a good product out, and it's the same thing with running...you put the training in and you put your heart and your dedication into the sport of road running and your results will show for themselves."
The three-year Kiss sponsorship deal is valued at $150,000 per year.
