Over 250 athletes from various clubs and schools gathered at the Athletics Stadium in Marsa as Rush Athletics Club hosted its traditional season opener. The event, which included both track and field events, gave athletes of all ages a chance to test themselves as the season kicked off.
The 60m sprint races in both the men’s and women’s categories were thrilling, with several athletes producing impressive performances, setting the stage for the rest of the season. In the women’s race, young Thea Parnis Coleiro (Rush AC) finished first with a time of 7.87s, followed by Alessia Cristina from Pembroke (8.12s) and Carey Spiteri, also from Rush, in third place with 8.13s. In the men’s race, Kurt Zahra (Rush AC) won gold with a time of 7.21s, narrowly beating Luca Gerada, who finished in 7.24s.
The 300m hurdles was a historic event, with two age records broken across the four heats. Zaida Pace from Rush AC claimed first place with a national record time of 46.64s, setting a new Under 23 and Senior record. Kayleigh-Anne Ellul came second with a time of 48.92s, setting a new Under 16 record. Pace also won the 300m race later in the meeting with a time of 42.60s.
In the 600m race, Isaac Bonnici made a strong return to competition, winning with a time of 1:21.49. Mireya Bugeja from Żurrieq won the women’s race in 1:37.17, narrowly beating Martha Spiteri.
In the longest race of the event, the 3000m, Thomas Grech (La Salle) claimed first place with a time of 9:17.72, just ahead of Isaac Luca Scicluna from Rush AC, who finished in 9:24.71.
The meeting also featured exciting field events such as long jump, hammer throw, javelin, shot put, discus, and ball throw, highlighting the growing popularity of athletics, particularly among younger participants.
