Balzan aiming for title

It has been a tough six months for Jonathan Balzan. The Maltese marathon record holder and winner of the MAAA Road Running League has been struggling with an injury that has restricted both his race appearances as well as his training.

But St Patrick's AC's leading runner is now getting back to peak performance and is targeting the club's own Errea Gudja 8K to prove this.

"I'm getting back in shape," he said. "I've been involved in a couple of races and have done reasonably well given my condition.

"The Gudja 8K is an important marker for me. I won it twice when I was in peak form and last year, even though I came second, my time was better than the previous best for the route.

"I'm expecting another fast time on Sunday as well."

If Balzan is training hard to be ready for this race, the same applies to the organising committee who have been doing their utmost to improve the level of the competition.

"We've reached an agreement with Errea. They will be sponsoring the race for the first time," club president Antoine Attard revealed.

"This agreement means that every athlete who takes part will receive an Errea 'goodie bag' and the first three in the men's and women's races will be given Errea gift vouchers worth €150."

The race is also important for St Patrick's AC because it is held in Gudja where their clubhouse is situated.

"We're very committed towards working for the benefit of the Gudja community," Attard said.

"Again, there will be special prizes for Gudja residents in the race.

"This year, we've also invited the youngsters at the Gudja FC nursery to take part in the fun runs that we also hold on the day.

"We've been working very closely with the club in recent months and hope to continue doing so in the future."

The Gudja 8K race will be held on Sunday starting at 8.30 a.m.

Further details and application forms may be downloaded from the club's website, www.stpatricksac.info.