Family, friends and the running community turned out to honour the memory of Clevonte Lodge-Bean at the Flora Duffy Stadium on Saturday.

The Bermuda Pacers Track Club hosted the first Clevonte Lodge-Bean Sprint Challenge to remember its talented former member, who lost his life in a road crash in November 2020 at the age of 18.

Lodge-Bean represented Bermuda in the 2017, 2018 and 2019 Carifta Games in the 100, 200 and 400 metres, as well in the 4x400 relay and made the finals several times. He also took part in the Usata Junior Nationals Championships and the Junior Olympics and was part of the Pacers travelling team to the Russell E. Blunt East Coast Invitational track meet.

The Sprint Challenge started with an emotional 400-metre lap of honour by Pacers members and Lodge Bean’s loved ones before the races for children aged between 3 and 19 got under way on the track.

The young runners displayed the speed, courage and determination personified by Lodge-Bean during his teenage years, with plenty of cheers to go alongside the tears.

One of the younger stars on display was Crue Hollis, who did the double in the boys three-year-old races over 25 and 50 metres, with Aiyana Houston winning the same races among the same age category for girls.

Raelyn Robinson showed her young rivals a clean pair of heels in both races for four-year-old girls with Logan Hayes coming out on top in the boys race over 25 metres but having to settle for third behind Edward Murdoch over 50 metres.

Connor Johnson showed good pace to win over 50 metres against his fellow five-year-olds and finished runner-up to Joah Saunders over the longer distance of 75 metres. In the same age group for girls, Jasmine Trott won over 50 metres and came second to Salome Raynor over 75 metres.

Che Caisey-Wears was a clear winner of the 75-metre event for six-year-old girls with Gis Reid-Rubaine picking up the victory over 50 metres. Theodore Smith managed to pick up two victories, winning over both distances in the six-year-old boys division.

Shanzae Smith showed huge signs of ability as he won the 100, 200 and 400 metres for seven and eight-year-old boys. Aalirah Daniiels was first home for the girls in the 100 metres, with the first two home for the girls in the 200 swapping positions in the 400 with Ava Clarke-Trott beating Yara Muhammad over the shorter distance and the roles reversed over farther.

Leydi Raynor narrowly beat Jas Reid-Rubaine in the 100 metres for nine and ten-year-old goals, but Reid-Rubaine managed to pick up a victory of her own over 200 metres before finishing second to Sukanya Jobson over 400.

Jeylon Glasford narrowly beat As’ad Muhammad in the 100 metres for boys aged 9 and 10, but Muhammad did not have to wait too long for a win as he came home first in the 200. Jemani Scott was best in the 400.

Chanz Martin was king of the sprinters among the 11 and 12-year-old boys after winning the 100 and 200 metres. Zaria Codrington won over 200 metres in the girls division, with Leilani Peters coming out on top in the 400.

Carifta Games medal-winner Pria Wilson won the girls’ under-17 100 metres, with Amaris Munya victorious in the 200 and Lashee Jones successful in the 400.

Jahstice Grant won the girls under-20 race over 100 metres. Miles Outerbridge won the under-17 boys races over 100 and 400 metres with Malik Paynter tasting success in the 200.

Seer Carey came out on top in a close finish with Jayson Simons to win the 400 metres in the boys under-20 division.