Green, Mondon top Reggae Marathon

Dalton Laing, Gleaner Writer

Rupert Green and Elizabeth Mondon won the major titles at the 10th staging of the Jamdammers Running Club Reggae Marathon in Negril last Saturday.

Showers greeted the over 1200 runners at the start line but the race, as usual, went off on time in the dark at 5:15 a.m.

Green who is based in Greater Portmore covered the marathon distance in two hours 30 minutes and 27 seconds to finish ahead of Gregory McKenzie, 2:39.31 and Corey Levin, 2:41.26 of Manchester.

Mondon of Kingston took the women's marathon in 2:55.50 from the Florida-based Terri Refjimal, 3:09.17, and overseas based Outi Ben Ammar, 3:37.37.

Green, the defending champion, was disappointed with his final time.

"I had a good run but I'm a bit disappointed with my timing knowing that I'm in far better condition than last year," he said. "I had to push the entire race on my own as no one was with me. I had no competition."

Mondon, a first-time winner of the event, explained that she used a different strategy this year and it paid off.

"I started out on a slower pace," she explained. "She (runner-up Refjimal) started faster than me and I was watching her just relaxing and talking to the cyclists.

Maintained lead

She went on to explain that after about 13 miles she took over the lead and maintained it to the end.

Meet director Alfred 'Frano' Francis was pleased with the 10th staging of the event and in explaining the development of the meet over the years highlighted the adjustments this year.

"The presentation ceremony normally scheduled for the evening is now done immediately after the athletes have recovered and we also have a beach party right after the meet."

He added that the marathon promotes healthy lifestyle and has economic spin-offs but it also promotes promptness which he says Jamaica is not known for.

"We have started on time for the 10 years and it is good when a visitor can say, I went to a marathon in Jamaica and it started on time," Francis said.