It was a sweeping victory for Japanese runners in the male and female categories of Reggae Marathon held in Negril on Saturday, December 2. However, Jamaica dominated the Half Marathon and 10k events.
2017 Tottori Japan Marathon winner, Daisuke Ikemoto successfully defended the Reggae Male Marathon title from last year to be the 2017 male winner with a time of 2:36:04, while this year’s Tottori female Marathon fourth place finalist Shiho Shiomi is this year’s winner in the Marathon event, having clocked 3:20:19.
Second place winner in Reggae Marathon’s male category is Enrico Kuhn from Washington DC, who ran a time of 2:58:25, while coming in third was Titus Mutinda of Boston with a time of 3:03:38. Titus, a crowd favourite, is Kenyan born, married to a Jamaican.
Runner up in the female category of Reggae Marathon was Natalee Gooden Burkard of Dayton, Ohio who ran 3:46:33, while third was Lynn Robinson of Providenciales, Turks & Caicos with 3:55:37.
Both male and female categories of the Half Marathon event belonged to Jamaicans, except for the third place. Male winner was Gregory McKenzie of Manchester, who ran the race in 1.15:30; followed by Karar Leslie of St. Andrew, coming to the finish line in 1:17:23, while third place went to Reinmund Hobmaier from Prien Am Chiemsee, Germany with a time of 1:22:35.
In the female category of the Half Marathon two Jamaicans came in first and second. Leading the pack was Elisabeth Mondon of Kingston who came in at 1:38:47, while Janetta Robinson, also of Kingston did the run in 1:42:48, while coming in third was Nanette Hernandez of Phoenix, Arizona in a time of 1:43:06.
Jamaicans swept the 10K with Oshane Archibald of GC Foster breaking the tape at 32:40; Thaleetio Green of St. James at 33:25 and Shane Buchanan of Kingston at 33:56. In the female category it was a Holmwood clean sweep with Brittney Campbell leading the winning team at 42:42, with second place winner Sashay Brown coming in 42:43 and in third place was Samantha Pryce in 42:43.
Over 40 countries were represented at 2017 Reggae Marathon, Half Marathon & 10K making it the largest number of countries represented at the event in 17 years. The event was also the culmination of the Jamaica Moves: Corporate Challenge, led by Dr. Christopher Tufton, Minister of Health who ran his first Half Marathon.
The results of the Jamaica Moves Corporate Challenge will be announced shortly.
According to ‘Frano’ Francis, no Jamaican broke any of the existing race records, while the newly introduced Barclay Ewart Trophy for competing Negril hotel teams was won by the Rockhouse Rockers. The runners up were Travellers Life and Couples Negril.
Participants enjoyed an exciting morning of fun and fitness with entertainment by Raging Fyah and Dre Island following the races, and enjoyed the world’s best pasta party hosted by the Negril chapter of the JHTA at Swept Away Sports complex the evening before the races.
