As of this year, the annual run and walk event, known as Reggae Marathon, Half Marathon and 10K, will no longer offer a marathon segment.
In making the announcement Saturday, race director Alfred ‘Frano’ Francis said it had become necessary to restructure the event as “we have been constantly challenged to provide the same level of runner care to our marathoners as those participating in the half marathon and 10K events. “
Francis said the change had been on the table for some time but the board of directors of the world-renowned sporting event took the decision to eliminate the marathon during the 2023 staging. However, the half marathon and 10K will remain as part of the brand’s offerings.
“Of course, we are disappointed that we have had to discontinue the marathon segment of the popular run/walk, but we have come to the realization that the challenges are greater than our ability to provide the best experience for our marathoners. With this change, we can now focus comfortably on providing the best experience for the participants in our Half Marathon & 10k events, as well as to our supporters and partners", Mr. Francis said.
The annual Reggae Marathon, Half Marathon &10K was launched in 2000 and is organized by the Jamdammers Running Club of Kingston
Over the past 23 years, the event has had runners from over 35 countries participating, with the inclusion of virtual races in the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic. The brand’s reach also expanded exponentially across the world with the use of the various digital platforms.
The 23rd staging of the event takes place in Negril on Sunday, December 3, 2023 with the usual 5:15 a.m. start time.
Bednarek edges Hughes in thrilling 200m race in Brussels
Kenny Bednarek and Zharnel Hughes locked in an intense battle over 200m at the Diamond League meeting in Brussels on Friday with the American edging the Briton to win in 19.79. The Glen Mills conditioned Hughes was not far behind in 19.82.
Close behind in third was Canada’s Andre DeGrasse who ran a season’s best 19.89 for third place. His Canadian teammate Aaron Brown also ran a season-best 19.98 for fourth place.
Julien Alfred has perfect ending to collegiate career with triple gold and national team title; Ackera Nugent wins epic hurdles clash
Birthday girl Julien Alfred celebrated with three gold medals and a national team title as the 2023 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships concluded in Austin, Texas on Saturday night.
Within a span of just over 90 minutes, the St Lucian track star, who turned 22, won gold in the 4x100m relay, 100m and 200m to close a stellar collegiate career and make the case of being the greatest female sprinter in NCAA Track and Field history, according to winning coach Eldrick Floreal.
“Without a doubt the greatest sprinter in NCAA history,” said Floreal, who guided the Longhorns to their first title in 18 years.
It would be difficult to dispute Floreal’s declaration considering what Alfred, who has lost once this season, managed to accomplish on Saturday.
She began the evening by leading the Texas Longhorn 4x100m relay gold in 41.60, the second fastest in NCAA history. Only the 41.55 they ran in the semi-finals on Thursday night is faster.
The University of Kentucky was almost a second behind in 42.46 with LSU third in 42.52.
Approximately, 50 minutes later Alfred stormed to victory in the 100m in a fantastic time of 10.72s that was only ‘ruined’ by a trailing wind that was at 2.3 m/s, slightly over the maximum allowable limit of 2.00 m/s.
Oklahoma’s Kennedy Blackmon ran 10.87 to take the silver medal while Tennessee’s Jacious Sears clocked 10.94 to win the bronze medal.
Alfred’s Texas teammate Kevona Davis was fifth in 10.98s.
Forty-five minutes later, Alfred was at it again pulling off a dominant performance to win the 200m in 21.73, which was again blighted by a trailing wind of 2.5m/s.
Finishing in her wake was Ole Miss’ McKenzie Long who stopped the clock at 21.88s and Davis, who was third in 22.02.
Afterwards, Alfred showered praise Coach Floreal, who helped her achieve success in her time at Texas.
"My coach has been my biggest influence in my life, my five years here at Texas," she said. "Prior to beginning the championships, I went to speak to him, and he said let’s not focus on myself, focus on the team. That changed the pressure. It made a huge difference."
Alfred wasn’t the only standout during these championships for Texas. While the St Lucian was busy tearing up the track, Ackelia Smith, who Floreal also singled out for praise, followed up her victory in the long jump on Thursday night with a personal best 14.54m in the triple to win silver behind Florida’s Jasmine Moore.
The Florida freshman produced an NCAA meet record of 14.78m, a new lifetime best as well as facility record.
Ruta Lasmane of Texas Tech was third with 14.21m.
Perhaps, the race of the night was the 100m hurdles that featured the three best collegiate hurdlers this season – Arkansas’ Ackera Nugent, LSU’s Alia Armstrong and Kentucky’s Masai Russell.
With a strong wind of 3.8m/s behind their backs, a condition that usually makes it difficult for sprint hurdlers, the three women running next to each in other in the centre of the track unleashed an epic battle that saw the Jamaican Nugent emerging victorious in 12.26s even after clipping the final hurdle.
Russell hit a hurdle early but managed to compose herself and storm past Armstrong and into second in 12.31. Armstrong, the fastest of the three, hit a hurdle mid-race, lost her momentum but managed to right herself and take the bronze in 12.49.
All season long Arkansas’ Britton Wilson dominated the 400m and was favoured to win gold, especially after dropping a lifetime best of 49.13 to win the SEC title in May.
On Thursday, she ran a fast 49.36 to win her semi-final, solidifying her position of gold-medal favourite. However, someone forgot to tell Texas’ Rhasidat Adeleke, who produced a powerful surge down the home stretch to take victory in 49.20, a massive personal best which broke Wilson’s two-day-old facility and meet record.
Wilson was second in 49.64. Her teammate Nickisha Price, who is from Jamaica, ran a personal best 50.23 for third place. Price later helped Arkansas win the 4x400m title in 3:24.05 in a dominant performance over Texas A&M (3:26.12) and Ohio State (3:26.72).
In 2022, Lamara Distin dominated the high jump in Division 1, winning both indoor and outdoor titles while soaring to new height of 1.97m outdoors, a national record.
However, after equaling that height indoors earlier this season, Distin was unable to replicate that performance on Saturday and it proved costly.
The Texas A&M senior could only muster 1.87m, a height not good enough to successful defend her title that went to Charity Griffith of Ball State who sailed over a personal best 1.93m.
Elena Kulichenko of the University of Georgia took the bronze having also cleared 1.87m but Distin was better on the count back.
At the end of it all and thanks mainly to Alfred’s 30 points, Texas amassed 83 points, 32 more than Florida (51) with Arkanas third with 46 points.
Oregon (44) and Texas A&M (36) rounded out the top five schools.
Jackson, Blake dominate women's, men's 100m sprints - bronze for Morrison
Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson easily justified her status as a heavy favourite for the women’s 100m title after dominating the event at the 2022 NACAC Championships, in Grand Bahama, the Bahamas on Saturday.
The 200m World Champion and 100m silver medallist has clocked some blistering times over both distances this season. The trend continued in Saturday’s final as she blasted out of the blocks and quickly put away the competition before stopping the clock at 10.83.
The United States Celera Barnes was second in 11.10 with another Jamaican Natasha Morrison third in 11.11. The race was run in a -0.1 headwind.
In the men’s equivalent, Jamaica’s Ackeem Blake also put in a dominant performance as he was the only athlete in the field to crack the 10-second barrier. Blake led the pack to the line in 9.98, comfortably ahead of the United State’s Kyree King who was second in 10.08, and his compatriot Brandon Charles who was third in 10.12.
Elsewhere, the Jamaicans took the runner-up spot behind the United States in the 4x400m mixed relays. The event was won by the United States in 3:12.05, with the Jamaicans second in 3:14.08.
Earlier, Adelle Tracey won her first ever medal for Jamaica when she finished third in the 800m in 1:59.54. The USA’s Ajee Wilson won the gold medal in a keen battle with teammate Allie Wilson. Ajee won by 0.01 seconds clocking 1:58.47 to Allie’s 1:58.48.
Jamaica won two more medals in the sprint hurdles.
Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist Megan Tapper ran 12.68 for silver in the 100m hurdles that the USA’s Alaysha Johnson won in 12.62. Hometown girl Devynne Charlton ran 12.71 for the bronze medal.
In the 110m hurdles, Orlando Bennett ran a season-best 13.18 to win the bronze medal.
The USA’s Freddie Crittenden won in a fast 13.00 while holding off compatriot Jamal Britt, who finished in 13.08.
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