Marathon day fast approaching
Kristina Wight, with her husband, Jeffrey, and sons, is running to raise funds for ALS Canada
(CNS Local Life): The latest numbers for participants in Sunday’s (2 December) Intertrust Cayman Islands Marathon confirm 102 full marathoners, 810 half-marathon entrants and 67 teams registered for the relay. In addition, organisers expect at least 100 people to register on the day before the race, which attracted just more than 1,200 runners overall last year.
Between runners, their families and supporters, the event, in its 16th year, should also attract almost 700 visitors to Cayman.
The race, which begins at 5am on the George Town waterfront, is raising funds for the Cayman Islands Cadets Corps, the Cayman Islands Cancer Society and other worthy groups, event organiser Kelly Holding said in a press release.
The Kids Fun Run will once again be held, sponsored by Milo and the Ministry of Youth and Sports. This race will start at 10:30am at the Government Administration Building on Elgin Avenue and end just past the finish line on the corner of Cardinall Avenue and Harbour Drive. This event is free for students between the ages of 5 and 11 years old and is expected to bring in 300 kids.
Race director Rhonda Kelly said the event gets better every year. “The support we receive from the community, our sponsors, volunteers, local runners and overseas runners – some who fly here every year just to run our race – is overwhelming at times,” she added. “This event is so inspirational and at times so emotional. We are just thrilled to be a part of the triumphs and powerful moments that a lot of our local and visiting runners will experience this Sunday. We count it an honour to be a part of their stories.”
Cayman will also be welcoming a 50-member group from Canada which includes teenagers from the Healthy Horizons Foundation, an organisation dedicated to improving the health and well-being of youth in the communities it serves through financial support and the motivation to advance their level of fitness, education and health.
Organisers are asking for the public’s cooperation during the race by keeping traffic along the race route to a minimum, and in particular those people who live along the route are being asked to secure their dogs in their yards, and turn on their Christmas lights if they have any from 4:30am on the morning of 2 December.
For road closures on marathon day, go to the CNS Notice Board
The race starts and ends on the George Town waterfront by Sharkeez Bar & Grill, with the route going through South Church Street, South Sound and Old Prospect Road, after which runners turn around and go back through South Sound and then onto Walkers and Hospital Roads, Elgin Avenue, Edward and Fort Streets and back to Sharkeez.
Late registration for all the different distances and events comprising the marathon can only be done at the Westin Resort’s Galleon Ballroom on Saturday, 1 December during packet pick-up from 9am to 3pm.
This year’s marathon boasts many unique narratives. Below are some of the stories:
Cayman resident Kristina Wight is running to raise funds for ALS Canada. She started running the roads of Cayman eight months after suffering injuries that left her with a broken elbow and unable to walk.
Scott Ruby with half-marathon duo Alexia Harriman and her mom, Shan
Caymanian mom and daughter team Shan and Alexia Harriman will be participating in the half marathon. Mom will be pushing Alexia in her racing chair. Calling their team “Wings for Lexi”, they said they hope that doing the race will encourage other parents with special needs children to get involved. For them, the race is to promote inclusion.
Robert Catlett from St. Albans, West Virginia, proposed to his girlfriend just before he crossed the finish line at the Boston Marathon earlier this year. He had visited the Cayman marathon booth at the Boston Expo. “We decided on a destination wedding for just the two of us and thought it would be fun to run a marathon together so we remembered the Grand Cayman booth,”Catlett said. “We are getting married December 1 and running the marathon on December 2. I tell everyone I am going to say “I do” and “Good night”.
The 2018 Cayman marathon will be 69-year old Brent Weigner’s 166th marathon country. From Cheyenne, Wyoming, Weigner has completed a marathon in all 50 United States, in all 10 Canadian provinces and two territories, and on all seven continents 10 times, also taking part in 53 ultra-marathons.
Kelly Criss from Sachse, Texas, has visited the island for vacations and when she saw the race on Facebook said she knew she and her friend had to do it. “Grand Cayman is my happy place and running is my therapy,” Criss added.
Brent Weigner, 69, will be running in his 166th marathon country
Cayman resident Charmane Dalhouse completed the half marathon in 2017 after losing 47 pounds and wants to improve her time, while Sharon Davis is doing her second half marathon after having both hips replaced at Health City Cayman Islands due to arthritis in 2017 and completing the 2017 race.
Vikisha Fripp from Washington, DC, will be doing her first run after breaking her foot to prove to herself that she can still do it.
Troy and Cathie Johnson from Red Boiling Springs, Tennessee, have completed more than 300 marathons, all 50 states twice, and done a marathon in 21 countries. “We want to add the Cayman Islands to our country list,” they said.
Kelley Garcia from Albuquerque, New Mexico, is returning for her ninth Cayman full marathon with her husband, Joaquin, who volunteers for the event and manages the start/finish line.
Niina Majaniemi from Finland said, “I read an article saying that your marathon is the friendliest marathon on earth, so of course I need to try it.”
Lauren O’Neill from Cayman has advanced from not being able to run for more than five minutes at the start of the year to slowly building up the miles to try and achieve her first half marathon.
Denise White from Mableton, Georgia, is doing her first full marathon after losing 77 pounds.
Marco Seitelmann from Berlin, Germany, met Rhonda Kelly at the Boston Marathon Expo in 2013 and finished that race five minutes before the bombing started. He has spent the last two years working toward running again. “Now it’s the time to do it,” he said.
For more information, email the organisers, call Bev Sinclair at 623-8825 or go to the Cayman Islands Marathon website
This is wonderful for tourism!
Good Luck to all the runners!