Reggae Marathon, Half Marathon & 10K, set for December 5, will go virtual again this year, the organizers of the annual event – the Jamdammers Running Club of Kingston - have announced.
In 2020, the Reggae Marathon, Half Marathon and 10K went virtual for the first time and the organizers were very pleased with the level of participation with runners from 30 countries, including Jamaica, being represented virtually.
However, with the pandemic continuing to pose challenges they have decided to go a similar route this year.
“We understand that the runners and walkers from Jamaica and about 30 countries across the globe will be disappointed that they will not be able to participate personally in the races. We have sought to find a solution that is in the best interest of all concerned,” said Alfred ‘Frano’ Francis, race director.
As part of the virtual staging, participants in the Reggae Marathon, Half Marathon or 10K event will be required to complete their run between November 13 and December 5, 2021, on a course of their choice, Mr Francis noted. However, he noted that local and international runners will also have the choice of running along the Reggae Marathon course in Negril.
The Reggae Marathon organizers are encouraging this year's participants in the virtual event to recreate a spirit of celebration as if they were in Negril, wherever they run and share their experiences via the event's social media channels such as Facebook and Instagram.
Runners and walkers who had previously registered for the in-person event from 2020 through to 2021 will have their places secured for the in-person race set for December 4, 2022.
After bruising season Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce finding healing in fashion in Italy
After a grueling season battling injury while facing the fastest women on the planet, Jamaican track icon star Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce took some time to enjoy some of the finer things in life at the Bottega Veneta fashion show during the Milan Fashion Week Womenswear Spring/Summer 2024 in Milan, Italy on Saturday.
The two-time Olympic 100m champion, known for her colourful wigs and trendsetting couture, was among a galaxy of celebrities gathered for the occasion that included writer, fashion editor, and New York Times best-selling author Derek Blasberg, Erykah Badu as well as Sabato de Samo, Gucci’s new Head of Creative.
The five-time world 100m champion is still recovering from a hamstring injury sustained at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest in August as well as a longstanding knee injury that significantly impacted her preparation last season. But what better way is there to heal the body and soul than immersing one’s self in the world of high fashion.
How entertainer DMajor's long-standing relationship with Usain Bolt gave life to latest song "Unstoppable"
Jamaican entertainer DMajor has taken the music scene by storm with his latest release, "Unstoppable," produced by none other than Usain Bolt's A Team label. The track hit the airwaves on Friday, September 22, 2023, and has been making waves ever since. However, what makes this collaboration truly special is the long-standing relationship between DMajor and the world's fastest man, Usain Bolt.
In an exclusive interview, DMajor revealed the story behind "Unstoppable" and how his journey with Bolt and the Racers Track Club paved the way for this remarkable musical partnership.
"I've known Usain since around 2006 or 2007," DMajor began, reminiscing about his early days with the sprinting legend. "What most people probably don't know about me is that I'm a lover of track and field. To stay in shape, at one point, I was training with the Racers Track Club around that same time. So, you know, I would have been all about keeping the lungs up and training with the Racers track club as my fitness regimen."
Back then, DMajor and Bolt never discussed music as a common interest. Bolt's love for music was no secret, but it wasn't until 2023 that the stars aligned for a collaboration. DMajor explained, "This year, in 2023, I had an idea to do a song, you know, one of those celebratory songs for championships. Somehow, the inspiration just hit me, and I had put down a melody on my phone."
However, a twist of fate nearly derailed DMajor's musical vision. "Now that phone just crashed, and I lost the melody," he lamented. But fate had other plans. A conversation with a friend reignited DMajor's creative spark. "I was reasoning with a brethren one day, and I was giving him the idea, and he was like, 'yow, all Bolt you could have linked on that, you know.' And I said, 'You know, you’re right.'"
The stars continued to align as DMajor found himself at Big Yaad Studios, celebrating engineer Kamal's birthday, where he ran into Nugent Walker (NJ), Usain Bolt's business manager. DMajor shared his idea with NJ, who embraced it without hesitation. "NJ was just like instantly (sold), like no hesitation. He was like, 'So Major when you want to do it?' Just like that, and myself, NJ, and Kamal decided upon the following Sunday."
The timing couldn't have been more perfect. DMajor continued, "That Sunday was when the 100-meter finals were on at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest in August. This is like a month and a half after I got the initial idea. We never got a medal, but still, you know, so you say everything is tying in."
As they worked on the track, NJ and DMajor knew they had something special in the making. DMajor explained, "NJ decided that the 22nd would be a good release date, and it was, in fact, released on the 22nd."
DMajor expressed his gratitude to the A-Team, NJ, and Usain Bolt for making this dream a reality. "Big up to the whole team, the whole A team," he said. "NJ said when he sent it to Bolt, he instantly fell in love with the track. So it's just a blessing overall, you know, for everything to say how everything that's come to fruition just from a simple idea and the challenges of losing the audio on the phone. We still came out with a track that we really believe in and represents what I was initially going for."
"Unstoppable" has already taken flight, released on Friday, and is quickly gaining momentum. DMajor summed up the collaboration with a smile, "I guess that happens when you link up with the king of speed, you know, things happen fast. So it's a great thing, man. Unstoppable. Oh gosh, man, stadium status."
Former BAAA President Alpheus Finlayson passes away at 76
Veteran sports advocate, broadcaster and former BAAA (Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations) president Alpheus Finlayson has died, aged 76, just weeks after the death of his wife, Dawn.
Finlayson served as co-captain of the St John’s University Track Team, President of the Pioneer’s Sporting Club, and of the Bahamas Amateur Athletic Association from 1989 to 1997.
He was also elected Vice President of the Central American Central American and Caribbean Athletic Confederation as well as Vice President of the North American, Central American, and Caribbean Area Athletic Associations.
It was during Finlayson’s administration of the Bahamas Amateur Athletic Association in 1992 that the first Bahamian Olympic medal in Track & Field was won, and in 1995 and 1997 the first three World Championship medals were won.
Finlayson, affectionately nicknamed “Hawk,” made history when he became the first Bahamian elected to the 27-member Council of the IAAF, the World governing body of Track & Field.
He also held the distinction of being the only Bahamian to attend every IAAF World Championships, from Helsinki in 1983 to London in 2017.
His book From Vancouver to Athens: Finlayson Fifty Years of Bahamian International Track & Field Competition is a best-seller.
He also authored weekly columns on “Track World” from 1980 to 1986 in The Tribune and produced a television show on ZNS called Track World with Alpheus Finlayson. Finlayson also wrote international newsletters with the same name.
He also hosted the weekly radio show called Track World with Alpheus Finlayson on Guardian Radio 96.9 FM.
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