Registration for the 2021 Virtual Reggae Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K & 5K race is open and runners from 17 different countries have already shown interest in participating.
Each participant has been charged to recreate the Reggae Marathon experience wherever they are in the world. However, some runners have expressed their desire to travel to Jamaica to run the race along the established Negril route during the run period, November 13 to December 5, 2021.
According to Alfred ‘Frano’ Francis, race director: “Another exciting feature for this year is that marathoners participating in this year’s Reggae Marathon can use their participation to qualify for a position in the virtual rankings platform of the 2022 AbbottWMM Wanda Virtual Age Group World Rankings.”
The AbbottWMM Wanda Age Group World Rankings comprises a one-year qualifying period during which athletes in nine separate age groups can compete in marathons across the world to earn ranking points.
Mr. Francis explained that at the end of the qualifying period, the top runners in each age group will get invited to the AbbottWMM Wanda Age Group World Championships. The rankings cover age groups from 40 to 80+ for men and women. More information on how to qualify for an invitation is available at: Virtual Rankings (worldmarathonmajors.com)
The first such championship was held as part of the 2021 Virgin Money London Marathon on October 3 this year. The race involved a combination of qualifiers from the first and second editions of the rankings.
Reggae Marathon is one of 250 international marathons offering this unique opportunity to athletes.
As in past years, the organisers of the 2021 virtual race event continue their support of Reggae Marathon’s charity partner, the Heart Foundation of Jamaica. Runners can make direct donations to the Heart Foundation or have their race distances covered by sponsorship. This year’s fundraising efforts have already received a boost by the efforts of two young runners from Jamaica, whose results are celebrated on the event’s website’s fundraising page: https://www.givengain.com/e/reggae-marathon-half-marathon-and-10k
Mr. Francis noted: “The addition of the Virtual 5K is another exciting feature of this year’s event, and though the Reggae Marathon event has had to go virtual again this year, we have left no stone unturned in our efforts to give all our participants a great running experience and an opportunity to make their mark in more ways than one.”
