We welcome back to the Reggae Marathon past winner Ros Ponder from London, UK.

How long have you been running?

Longer than I care to remember – more than 20 years!

Why did you start running? 

I began running in my early twenties purely for vanity! I was living a pretty unhealthy
lifestyle and couldn’t actually run for more than a few minutes at a time, so I started off
running and walking and gradually extended the running. Now it’s a daily habit and I can’t
imagine not doing it.

How did you hear about Reggae Marathon?

My partner, Janwary, is Jamaican and he convinced me to sign up – not that I took much
persuading!

Why did you choose the Reggae Marathon? 

We come to Jamaica every year to escape the freezing weather in England, and running the
Reggae Marathon is fast becoming a tradition! I do the run and then spend the rest of the
holiday filling up on my favourite Jamaican foods – hominy, mangoes, ackee and saltfish and
bun and cheese!

Are you coming with a group (or are you by yourself)? 

Janwary works as a Personal Trainer and football coach in London, and this year he’s
bringing eight of his clients out for a week-long fitness holiday which, of course, includes
taking part in the Reggae Marathon! Some of us are doing the half marathon and some are
signing up for the 10k.

Anything special you would like to share? 

If you’re thinking about signing up but aren’t sure, I would just say do it! If you’re from
overseas it’s a great way to meet some of the local people and experience Jamaica’s
incredibly uplifting vibes, and you can’t beat the feeling of finishing on a beautiful beach and
cooling off in the ocean. And if you see me please say hello! I’ve met so many lovely people
from all over the world at this event – running really does bring people together!