SEVERAL PEOPLE walked away with the top prizes after THE NATION's 15th annual Fun Ride yesterday.

Copping first place in the men's category was John Cumberbatch, while Mona Crawford was the first female rider home.

Cumberbatch won three months' gym membership from 1st Class Fitness Centre and a trip for two to St Lucia, while Crawford won three months' PACE Fitness membership and a trip for two to St Lucia.

The children were not forgotten at the awards ceremony in the carpark of the Garfield Sobers Sports Complex in Wildey.

Ralston Yorke walked away with the first-place prize in the Under-7 category, with Tremaine Forte coming in second.

The Fun Ride also saw the participation of two physically-challenged young men.

Shakiel Babb-Jackman, nine, and Christopher Gilkes, 18, both immobile due to spina bifida, competed in their wheelchairs.

The two brave youth are off to Tampa, Florida, today to compete in the National Disabilities Championship. However, they proved their strength and endurance by finishing the route, with Gilkes leading Babb-Jackman home.

Of course, no Fun Ride is complete without the "fun categories".

Little Barry Cozier, only ten months old, won the prize for Youngest Registered Rider, while Montague Kirton and Albert Peck, both 71 years old, won the Clyde Searles Plaque for the Oldest Registered Rider.

Searles, a veteran NATION Fun Ride participant, died in January this year at
age 87. He was always the oldest rider and the first to register.

In his honour, THE NATION named the prize after him and retired his number, 1.

A plaque bearing the number, his photograph and brief details will be erected in THE NATION'S Fontabelle office today, according to President and Editor-in-Chief Harold Hoyte.

Hoyte's wife, Noreen, rode Searles' bike in tribute to him.

The 80-strong Roamers won the Largest Registered Group and Best Uniform Group prizes. The Largest Registered Family award went to the Best and Howard families who numbered 18 people.

Most Topical bike went to Carl Matheson, while Trevor Allamby earned the prize for Best Nation Concept. Best Modified Bike went to Kirk White.

Irecka Louis and Lyle Jones were the top NATION staffers in the Fun Ride.

The major sponsors of this year's Fun Ride were Gatorade, Journeys and CGI. Other prizes were compliments of PACE Fitness, Cable & Wireless, Grand China Chinese Restaurant and Hilton Hotel.