By Bahamas Athletics

The 25th T Bird Flyers Track and Field Classic will be held Friday, January 13th at 6:30 PM through Saturday January 14th at 1 PM at Thomas A Robinson Stadium.

The event will feature track and field legend Chris "The Fire Man Brown," world record holder in middle distance running and the most decorated male athlete in the history of The Bahamas.

According to Foster Dorsett, head coach at the club, the event began as an effort to raise funds for uniforms for kids and other expenses for the organization in general. Over the past few years, the meet has switched from one day to two, which is much more appealing to coaches and the athletes.

Seeing that the event runs for two days and is the first event of the season, it enables coaches to enter more athletes and gauge which are most suited for particular events moving forward.

With a change to his club's marketing approach, Dorsett expects a significant increase in participants at this year's event.

In the past, marketing for the event was mainly through newspaper only which limited the exposure and the number of participants and attendance at the event. With the addition of video, which has appealed to parents and kids as well as the utilization of social media as a marketing strategy, the event continues to grow, attracting better athletes and more recognition.

All of this helps the organization as a whole.

Another huge attraction this year will be honoring Chris Brown, four-time Olympic medal winner which includes a gold in the 4X400 relay in London in 2012. Dorsett believes that with the increased effort on marketing and the presence of Brown, expected registered athletes could surpass 1000 inclusive of the anticipated addition of international qualifiers.

The Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) hope that athletes will be able to make qualifying standards as soon as possible for the CARIFTA Games, which take place this year in Curacao during the Easter weekend between April 15 and April 18.

The Bird Flyers Track and Field Classic is the perfect event for athletes to begin their quest to qualify for those games.