CariFin Health & Fitness Club

The CariFin Games

From its inception in 1991, the CariFin Health and Fitness Club has sought to bring the Financial Services Sector (both locally and regionally) closer together through events and activities that promote fun, fitness and friendship amongst all involved. CariFin’s activities have evolved into a compact set of events, taking place on various days at myriad locations to what is now known as The CariFin Games.

The Games include:

• The Urban Challenge
  (i.e. Savannah One Lap, Green Mile, Chancellor Hill Challenge and Aerobics Burnout)

• The Cross Country Run
• The Family Day

The Cross Country and Family Day consists of a number of family…friendly…fun events hosted to create a surge of excitement from event to event culminating with the Dance Off and Ms. CariFin Contest. The emphasis of the CariFin Games is to encourage a more active lifestyle through personal responsibility for one’s health.

The CariFin Health and Fitness Club, through its foresight, has not only brought employers and their employees of various financial institutions into an environment of camaraderie to foster bonds and promote physically fitness, but has also been able to use its mediums to raise funds for the Lupus Society of Trinidad and Tobago. This support enables the club to assist the foundation in raising awareness and improving the quality of the lives of those afflicted with a disease that many know little of.

Visit us online to at www.carifinonline.com or like us on Facebook. Check out our album, and share in some of the exciting moments of CariFin’s past. Contact us to find out how you can join the CariFin family!

Events Calendar

The Games usually start around the beginning of April and finish in May/June.

The Torch Run – Saturday / 7.00 a.m. / Port of Spain – Couva

The first event to kick of The Games is the Torch Run. This is the 7^th (2012) year that the Torch Run is being used to inaugurate the games. The Torch Run is approximately 35 miles long. The start line is Central Bank (Port of Spain), it proceeds down South Quay along the main road to Morvant Junction, through the Croisse, Mt. Lambert, Curepe Junction, down the old Southern Main Road, to Kaydonna, Caroni, Cunupia, Enterprise, Chaguanas, Chase Village, St. Marys, Mc Bean and end in Couva. The Torch Run embodies our “Flame of Hope”. A hope that we believe will inspire and change people’s attitude. We hope that individuals would adopt a healthier and more active lifestyle. The senior manager of each participating institution joins in to send the Torch on its journey.

The Urban Challenge

The Challenge comprises four events, which are neither too long nor too difficult; however, we have worked hard to ensure that there is enough challenge for both the beginner and pro alike. Walkers and runners can enter as there are categories for both. The calendar of events is as follows:

One Lap Savannah

Date: To be announced

Time: 5.00 p.m.

Event Type: Road Race

Venue: Queen’s Park Savannah

Location: Port of Spain

The One Lap Savannah has always been the one event of the Urban Challenge that runners strive to enjoy the ‘pride of position’. The Savannah has always been a bench mark for speed and fitness in the city.

The Green Mile

Date: To be announced

Time: 5.00 p.m.

Event Type: A One Mile Off Road Event

Venue: Queen’s Park Savannah
Location: Port of Spain
The one lap mile is the Marquee event in the Urban Challenge. The record time achieved in this event to date is 5.37 minutes and participants of varied levels of fitness have finished in approximately 18 minutes.

The Chancellor Challenge
Date: To be announced
Time: 5.00 p.m.
Event Type: Challenge
Venue: Lady Chancellor Hill
Location: Port of Spain
This is a test of stamina, strength and speed.

The Aerobics Burnout

Date: To be announced
Time: 5.00 p.m.
Event Type: Aerobics Burnout
Venue: Central Bank Plaza
Location: Eric Williams Plaza, Independence Square, Port of Spain
The fitness burnout at the Central Bank Plaza is unique to CariFin. It has been around from The Games’ inception 17 years ago. Introduced primarily to add variety and balance, it also challenges the avid runner or walker to go outside of his or her normal routine and do something new, different and fun.

Cricket / Football / All Fours – Saturday / 9.00 a.m/ Republic Bank Sports Club
This is another fitness promoting, fun combination of activities. It consists of:
The 7-a-side Wind-ball Cricket Match
Team members may include staff and spouses. Pelting is permitted at any speed. LBW rules do not apply, bowlers can only bowl three overs and wetting the ball is permitted.

The 7-a-side Small Goal Football Match
Five players per team and the games will consist of two (2) 10-minute halves. Two (2) substitutions are allowed per team.

All Fours Tournament

Cross Country & Family Day – 10.00 a.m. / Sevilla Golf Course – Couva
The event commences with an opening ceremony and a meeting of the teams. Other events on the day include:

Novelty Events:

Kids Race: 1.30pm – 2.15pm
Children under 19 years are accommodated here in the following age categories:

• 5 – 7 yrs
• 8 – 11 yrs
• 12 – 15 yrs
• 16 – 18yrs

The Walking Race: 2.15pm – 2.45pm

This race caters for the people who prefer to exercise by walking. So, for them, they have just one lap around the 2.2 km course. All participants who complete the race receive medals, special prizes are offered for the top ten finishers and the winner receives a trophy.

The Fun Run: 2.45pm – 3.15pm

The Fun run remains an entry-level event, where first timers are introduced to the sport of cross-country. You cannot win this event twice; all top performers are disallowed or will be disqualified if they take part in this event and finish in the top 10. You also cannot take part in both the male and female cross-country events and the fun run in the same year. All finishers receive medals while the overall and age group winners collect hampers.

Female Cross Country Race: 3.15pm – 4.00pm

Women participants have the luxury of doing two (2) laps of the Sevilla Golf course for this event. All finishers receive medals, the top ten (10) finishers and top three (3) age-group finishers receive cash prizes and the winner receives a challenge trophy and replica.

Male & Female Cross Country Race: 4.00pm – 4.45pm

Men must complete 3 laps of the Sevilla Golf Course. All finishers receive medals, the top ten (10) finishers and top three (3) age-group finishers receive cash prizes and the winner receives a challenge trophy and replica.

The Dance Off

Participants from the various institutions partner off to dance to the sound of various genres of music.

The Ms. CariFin Competition

This competition started in 2004, as part of the CariFin Cross-Country and Family Day and is a unique way to highlight a young female employee of the financial services sector who embraces the ideals and values of CariFin – Fun, Fitness & Friendship – by actively engaging in health and fitness and living a more active lifestyle. From its inception in Ms. CariFin has been a highly anticipated event on the day.