← Reggae Marathon
The reggae marathon is held in Negril , Jamaica so you know it’s going to be hot !
There are 3 distances to choose from , 10k , HM and marathon , I chose the marathon option
Online registration is easy and clear instructions regarding number pick up etc are sent along with confirmation
The entry fee is quite high , between £80-£110 depending on when you book ... for this you get race entry , entry to pasta party the night before , t-shirt and goody bag containing Gatorade , water , insect repellant , energy bars and various Jamaican spices and a reggae marathon branded holdal .
The race starts at 5.15 am in long bay park (free shuttle busses from hotels are put on )
Whilst waiting for start they have some upbeat reggae blaring out the speakers to get you in the mood , this stop for the drum troupe to do there bit and before you know it you are ready to start .
There are clearly marked signs at start showing what pace you expect to run , which is left to the individual to decide themselves . Be warned there are a lot of walkers doing the 10k and they saw fit to start at the front which did cause some difficulties to pass them , for me doing the marathon it wasn’t of real concern however anyone wanting to go for a quick half time it would have been frustrating .
The course ... the 10k is down to Negril for 3 miles around the round about and back the marathon follows same route but continues along the road until turn around point just past last hotel and back to start .... then repeat , it’s is 1 laps and there is no shying away that it’s not the most scenic route , the first 1 and half hours is in darkness , then the sun comes up .. yes you do get some nice views of the sea and the countryside but mostly it’s hotels and bars or tree lined streets . However this is not what the run is about .
Local support isn’t that bad ... you get pockets of people cheering you on along the course into Negril and plenty of support when you arrive there.. however long distance running is alien to a lot of Jamaicans who a a sprint nation so as the race goes on support does dwindle .. but every half mile or there is a speaker blasting reggae music out and local going along their business shouting out “respect” “g’wan the madman 😂”
The half and 10k has a lot of entry’s . The marathon 122 ... so you will be lonely at some point .
You do need to be aware that the roads are not fully closed , however any traffic is given a police escort and they ensure that you feel safe at all times
The finish ... run back into the park , Luce band playing , cross the line get medal , get given free bottle of red stripe and jump in the Caribbean Sea to relax and have photo taken doing Usain Bolt pose 😂
Shuttle busses also take you back to hotel .. as I was shuffling toward them one of the race organisers pulled up and offered me a lift back to my hotel . Nice touch
I love Jamaica as a country so am slightly biased , some of the profits go into the young athletes development which I like , and you can’t fault them for trying to make long distance running more popular over there .
I’d definitely recommend this experience to anybody.
