It is estimated that about 4,000 participants will take part in the 2013 Sunshine Insurance Race Weekend, set for January 19 and 20, along the northern tip of Nassau. The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure is set for that Saturday, starting at 7 a.m. at St. Matthew's Anglican Church and ending at the Atlantis tennis courts on Paradise Island, and the fourth running of Marathon Bahamas is scheduled for that Sunday, beginning and ending at the Junkanoo Beach Club at Arawak Cay.
Marathon Bahamas IV will get underway at 6 a.m. that Sunday. Already, according to Sunshine Insurance (Agents & Brokers) Limited President Brian Moodie, registration for the two-day sports tourism event is up by more than 30 percent over last year's pace. They expect about 2,500 runners in the Marathon Bahamas race alone. "The partnership that was started between the Ministry of Tourism and Sunshine Insurance has developed this into really an awesome event," said Moodie during the official launch yesterday.
"When it was started, the goal was to make it into a world-class event, and in three short years, we have achieved that. We couldn't do it without some of our key corporate partners and we would like to thank them for coming on board. The Royal Bahamas Police Fore and the Royal Bahamas Defence Force are out in full force to ensure that it is a safe event, and then there is Atlantis, the Freeport Oil Company Limited (FOCOL), and the Ministry of Tourism just to name a few.
This started with the idea of making it a health and fitness kind of event. We quickly realized the attraction of world-class athletes and what that could bring to The Bahamas. For the full marathon, registration is up to over 50 percent so far." Moodie said that out of the 2,000-plus already registered, about 350 of them are visiting athletes. About 250 runners are expected to compete in the full marathon. That number is expected to grow even more as race weekend approaches.
According to Moodie, that alone could create in excess of 2,000 room nights at the local hotels. "These athletes are coming with their friends and families, and then they stay on average for about two to three nights each," he said. "That is going to do wonders for tourism in a period which is historically quiet." Defending champion for the full marathon, American Bryan Huberty, is expected to be back to defend his title. Representing the WildSide Online Elite Racing Team out of South Florida, he covered last year's event in a course record time of 2:42.53.
Bahamian Sidney Collie finished second, in 2:47.40, American female Angela Cobb was third, in 3:00.17, and inaugural Marathon Bahamas winner Delroy Boothe settled for fourth, in 3:01.19. Also expected to take part this year is a group of runners from the National Black Marathoners Association (NBMA). That body will host its 2nd Annual International Gathering during the Sunshine Insurance Race Weekend, here in Nassau, The Bahamas. Back home, Yolanda Deveaux, who runs as a part of the local running group Bahamas Roadmasters, said that in her experience of running marathons around the world, in terms of scenery, she puts Marathon Bahamas at the top.
"From the running community, we are looking forward to Marathon Bahamas 2013. Of all the marathons I have done, Marathon Bahamas continues to be my favorite course," she said. "No where else, can you have the sunrise as the backdrop when you start the race. Also, in terms of safety with the officers on the bikes, it is high class. The medical team is second to none, and the supervision of the event is just wonderful.
With the course, it's just smooth running once you are done with the bridges. To see the coastline for so many miles shows the real beauty of the island. Each year, the number of participants grow because of these amenities. The crowd support is wonderful. The people are out there encouraging you and cheering you on, and it gets better and better every year. There is a certain euphoria at the finish line once you would have finished the race. There is a cheering team there urging on the runners. I'm just looking forward to an exciting Marathon Bahamas 2013."
The course itself takes runners along West Bay Street where runners get to experience the northern landscape of New Providence and enjoy the ambience of the sun, sand and sea. "We in the Ministry of Tourism are so proud to be a part of this event," said Director of Sports Tourism Tyrone Sawyer. "We want to congratulate Marathon Bahamas and Sunshine Insurance for its leadership in putting together an event of this magnitude. What you have here is simple elements coming together to create a synergy that is really taking off in our community.
The inaugural event of 2010 made me proud to be a Bahamian and I have that same pride today. We have an event here that engages each and every one of us. The tourism impact is tremendous." It is estimated that the event has pumped about a million dollars into the local economy over the past three years. "We just want to commend the Sunshine Insurance group for its leadership in creating an event that has not only tourism benefits, but community social benefits as well.
It is doing so much with the Susan G. Komen Foundation and breast cancer," said Sawyer. "I'm sure that there is still some ways to go to realize the goal and turn it into one of the top marathons in the world, but we want the organizers to know that they have the full support of the Ministry of Tourism." A school program dubbed 'Student Run Bahamas' is being implemented this year. Actually, over 20 relay groups from the high schools have already registered.
Scotiabank has come on board and has covered the registration fees of the high school teams. Sandwiched in between the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure and the fourth running of Marathon Bahamas, is an expo which will be held at the Sheraton Nassau Beach Resort on Saturday January 19, at 3 p.m. Once again, there won't be any cash prizes this year, but there will be other prizes available such as free hotel nights and dinners. The public is urged to register as soon as possible, whether online at any of the Sunshine Insurance offices, to be a part of this exciting weekend event.
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