At just 16 years old, Odida Parkinson crossed the finish line in the top ten of the recently concluded South American 10K road race, trumping some experienced campaigners.
The all-local South American 10K road race was this year different in many ways, but it was a standout one for a number of competitors.
While the race saw two new champions in the male and female categories, an outstanding performance was also witnessed by an up-and-coming distance athlete.
16-year-old Odida Parkinson
Odida Parkinson had previously only once tried his hand at the 3000M and 5000M races which catered to his age group, but stepped up to the 10K last weekend.
In the end, the young man finished among the top ten competitors (inclusive of seniors). Here’s how he felt about the race:
Odida Parkinson approaching the finish line
“To me, as my coachman said, ‘Start off hard and go with the pack’, so that’s what I do. For me, it was really challenging, because it was my first time running a 10K.”
Clocking 39:45:48, Parkinson was third among the junior males, and found the conditions to be favourable.
“It was good! I had the encouragement that I needed, that I was supposed to get from my coach and my club mates and so,” the youngster stated.
According to the teenager, he is now focused on taking the title at the National Schools Track and Field Championships, and is looking forward to the next senior competition of that nature.
“I think I’ll do some more training; cause how I ran, I’m real proud of myself, and I’m hoping to do better next year,” he told this publication.
The teenager finished third, behind only Kennard Hartog who clocked 36:06:54 and Seon Booker who finished on 39:24:48.
