W
hen Canadians plan a respite from
winter in Jamaica, beautiful beaches,
reggae music and the ‘irie’ attitude of its
people come to mind. Yet among runners
here and around the world, the Carribean
Island has also cultivated a reputation as one
of the most popular runcation destinations
on the planet when the Reggae Marathon
takes places each December.
“What makes the race special?” asks a
smiling Chris Morales, the marathon’s social
media lead. “You’re in Jamaica, in Negril, in
December. It’s a race runners want to travel
to and make a vacation of. It also happens at
the end of the year, so if you’ve had a racing
season and you want to wrap it up and cele-
brate, it’s a great place to do it.”
The Reggae Marathon, going into its
19th year, is as much about celebration as
it is about running. It starts at 5:15 am, for
good reason, with temperatures that rise to
around 25 C a few hours after sunrise. The
flat course loops around Long Bay Beach
Park, with views of Negril’s famous white-
sand Seven-Mile Beach for much of the race
as the sun rises. A decently sized crowd
Runcation, Jamaica Style
Run the Reggae Marathon and explore what the Carribean island has to offer beyond the beach
lines the course, including grade-school
students in uniforms, live bands and the
sound of car speakers, cranking out ska,
rocksteady and reggae. At times, the race
feels more like one big dance party moving
in unison over 42.2 kilometres (or 21.1 and
10 k-distances if you want to beat the heat).Approaching the finish line, crowds thicken,
cheering racers across the finish line where
the real party begins in Long Beach Park,
with complimentary Red Stripe beer, jerk
chicken and live bands on stage. If you want
to cool down first, skip the party and head
straight to the beach.40 Canadian Running September & October 2019, Volume 12, Issue 6
Courtesy^ Reggae^ Marathon,^ Dave^ Carpenterplaces
exotic destination