All set for Dec 2 Reggae Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K
KINGSTON: THE 2017 staging of the Reggae Marathon, Half Marathon and 10K is set for Saturday, December 2 in Negril.
In making the announcement at a media launch yesterday at the Alhambra Inn, Race Director, Alfred ‘Frano’ Francis noted that last year’s staging of the annual sporting event by the Jamdammers Running Club of Kingston received the most recognitions from runners and walkers over the 16 years of staging. In addition, there were accolades from international professional sporting magazines and associations as a calendar event of high international standards.
The Reggae Marathon, Half Marathon and 10K race event was selected among the Best Half Marathons around the world in 2016. The award was the result of a survey among members of the 100 Half Marathons Club, based in the USA. This is a racing club of members who have completed 100 lifetime half marathons, with some members completing up to 300.
In addition, the annual event
received the nod from more than 24,000 readers of the UK-based Women’s Running and Men’s Running magazines. They decided that Reggae Marathon was the Men’s Running International Race of the Year and a highly commended event in the Women’s Running International Race of the Year category.
“We are very pleased to advise that to date, runners and walkers from over 32 countries have registered to participate on
December 2 and we are looking forward to an even more outstanding staging,” Francis said.
He noted that the 2017 Reggae Marathon, Half Marathon and 10K has been chosen as the culmination race in the successful national Jamaica Moves Corporate Challenge, led by the Ministry of Health.
“This choice by the ministry validates all our previous efforts to have Corporate Jamaica use the event as a platform to build
a healthy workforce, while increasing productivity through camaraderie and team building at the workplace, thereby reducing the pressure on the island’s health system,” Francis added.
MOVING TO SUNDAY
He announced plans to move the staging of the annual event in 2018 to a Sunday, instead of the usual Saturday race day.
“We took the decision to host next year’s sporting event on Sunday to ease the effect of the road closure in Negril and also to allow more persons to attend by giving those who have to work up to Friday the opportunity to arrive in Negril on the Saturday”, he said.
The event’s world-renowned Pasta Party is back at the Swept Away Sports Complex this year. Also, runners and the general public can enjoy the sounds of the award-winning reggae band Raging Fyah at the Beach Bash Victory Party at Long Bay Beach Park, on December 2.
Reggae Marathon’s charity partner is the Heart Foundation of Jamaica and the event continues to encourage runners and walkers to raise funds for the organisation through participation in the event. In addition, the donation of six computers to the winning schools in the 10K High School’s Championship is ongoing.