By Morissa Lindsay
A new route through the scenic East Coast of Barbados and the inclusion of other exciting racing events were announced during today’s launch of the 2022 Run Barbados series, scheduled to happen on December tenth and eleventh in Bathsheba, St Joseph.
During this afternoon’s press conference held on the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc (BTMI) office in Warrens, director for the Caribbean and Latin America Sports at BTMI, Corey Garrett, together with event producer and race director, Zary Evelyn, said they
expect this thirty ninth edition of Run Barbados to be much more spectacular than 2019 when it last took place.
The prize money for this yr’s marathon and half marathon series might be BDS$4, 000 and BDS$2, 000 respectively, together with a return ticket and hotel accommodation fully paid for the winners to return in 2023 for the fortieth edition. In line with Garrett and Evelyn, those that compete whether locally or internationally will receive probably the most attractive medals.
Besides the marathon races, there can even be a five kilometer (run and walk) and ten kilometer on Saturday while the marathons in addition to a 3 and 7 kilometer showdown might be contested on Sunday from 5:30 a.m. Traditionally up to now Run Barbados began and ended at Carlisle Bay but this yr it is anticipated to begin and end near the Uncle Joe shop situated near Bathsheba Park.
“One thing we would like to let Barbados and all the world know, the event shouldn’t be only for the athletes or the runners but additionally for the family, corporations, anybody who thinks they wish to participate the event is unquestionably open to you. This yr after all might be the thirty ninth
edition of the event and we are going to see a rise within the so-called fun factor as we plan so as to add lots more music and entertainment elements to the activities along the varied points of the route.
“We’re glad to announce this afternoon that the Run Barbados might be running on a new route and we’re taking it to the scenic and the enduring East Coast of Barbados, the Ermie Bourne Highway and its vicinities. So, the Run Barbados will tackle a new and unique aspect of it running along our very scenic East Coast Road,” Garrett said.
He added: “Hosting some of these events fit very much under the BTMI’s mandate for sporting tourism and continuing to be certain that we help to diversify the Barbados Tourism Product. We’re continuing to work to develop this island not only as an island for leisure tourists, for love tourists or perhaps for business tourists but an island that’s perhaps known for sporting tourism.”
With sponsorship consultant Richard Haynes on board, the organizers are looking for to garner financial support through corporate Barbados. Sponsors to this point for this yr’s Run Barbados are Eco Sky water, Royal Bank of Canada, Chefette Frosteez, Nature Discounts and Gildan who’ve agreed to supply shirts for competitors.
Run Barbados has also teamed up with MarathonFoto which is a global photography company that focuses on sporting events and so they have agreed to coach some local photographers. When it comes to how interested individuals can register that might be known at a later date. Sportstats, a timing company, can be on board and a team from ESPN is anticipated to be on island to cover the event.
Evelyn said Run Barbados commenced in 1983 and has grown tremendously and subsequently he expects that the 2765 registered participants from 2019 might be surpassed in 2022.
“After we last had it in 2019 it was the biggest it has ever been with all of the several events showing record numbers. So, unfortunately we needed to miss 2020 and 2021 and 2022 is looking as if it could possibly be just as big as 2019 and even larger,” Evelyn explained.
“Whenever you measure a sporting event in Barbados by participation, Run Barbados by far is the biggest. It doesn’t get the form of coverage that cricket would get but that’s more spectators. But whenever you measure it just by participation the run is big. It brings in lots of tourists and it’s a really beneficial asset for BTMI. So, the plan is to continue to grow it and certainly one of the innovations this yr to attempt to grow it was the moving of the routes from Carlisle Bay to the new and exciting East Coast.
“It was a little bit of of venture to place it on the market and what made it possible was the Joe’s River Bridge; otherwise, whenever you come to the tip of Bathsheba you would need to go over the hills down into Cattlewash. The Bridge has made all of it possible and after we did launch and announce the East Coast the general public internationally went ballistic for it in order that is unbelievable.
“So, we’ve got gotten support and we’ve got gotten rather a lot more attention than we’ve got gotten up to now from people all around the world. So, we’re glad to say it looks like a winning combination of individuals coming here for the vacation and indulging their passion for running in a new and progressive atmosphere,” Evelyn told the media.
As an alternative of the standard three days of Friday to Sunday, it has been cut to 2 days and the Fun Mile has been scrapped from this yr’s calendar which Evelyn explained was done since it was difficult to prepare within the new location.
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