December 8, 2024
Half Marathon, 10K & 5K Races

Running clubs: It’s all about the running

New York, Boston and Negril have something in common.  Yes all are fantastic places to live but the common link for us runners is that they have great running clubs who put on fantastic marathon events.  In New York the New York Road Runners run the ING New York Marathon.  In Boston, the  Boston Athletic Association hosts the Boston Marathon which is on this weekend…Reggae Marathon will be there with the Jamaica Tourist Board and Puma with some great prize giveaways. And of course in Negril, the Jamdammers  run the Reggae Marathon weekend that brings us together every December.

For all three running clubs, it's all about the running.  A quick check of the web sites shows the commitment to our favourite sport, running.  For Reggae Marathon it began 17 years ago in Kingston when a loose collection of runners who ran around the Mona Reservoir (The Dam) came together as the Jamdammers.  One of their inspired decisions was promoting long distance running in Jamaica which led to the establishment of Reggae Marathon.

But running clubs are more than just their marathon events. There are some practical benefits of joining a running club beyond the camaraderie of running with a group.  Running clubs can improve your perfo

rmance.

True confession:  I like to run alone but when I was training for my first Reggae Marathon back in 2009 I joined a local running club.  That plus the support of the Jamdammers helped me finish:

  • The group runs each weekend improved my speed and endurance.  Yes there were faster runners but I only tried to run at their pace once.
  • I got great pacing tips from some members of the group who had run the Boston Marathon multiple times.  For a newbie like me at the time they helped overcome my fear of running 26.2 Miles!
  • I got some great advice on how to stay cool during the marathon:  keep your head and neck covered. Because Negril was warmer than where I was running that year, that was invaluable advice.  I really took advantage of the cold water in the plastic pouches at every mile aid station.

While I don't run with this group anymore, I still smile when I see

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a group of runners enjoying their run together.  It is clearly all about the running!

Until next time…

Reggae Marathon RunninGuy

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For more information check the Reggae Marathon Web Site.  To register now click here for the Reggae Marathon Registration Page. Photo of the Running Girlz of Burlington, Ontario courtesy of Karen Fuchs Photography.

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