The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

WITH record numbers posted all around, Veronica Duncanson said the organisers were more than thrilled with the participation in the Marathon Bahamas 2013 Sunshine Insurance Race Weekend.

The event was staged Saturday with the Susan Komen Bahamas Race for the Cure and on Sunday the half and full marathon took place.

“Everything turned out very well. The numbers didn’t surpass our expectations because this is what we have been planning for,” said Duncanson, who serves as the public relations officer for the event. “Four years into the marathon, the Bahamian running community and persons who are in the fight with us to end breast cancer, brought into this event and they just came out in record numbers.”

For Saturday’s charity race, more than 1,800 competitors registered, but it was estimated to be more than 2,000 that actually took part. The numbers were increased from last year’s total of 1,333.

Then on Sunday, more than 1,200 roamed the street to compete in the dual race that also featured a relay component, including the Scotiabank High Schools Relay competition. Last year, there was a total of 958 competitors.

“So we’re just really grateful to the Bahamian community, particularly the running community, for the way they have responded and we are looking forward to expenditure growth in year five.”

Four-time Colorado All-American and three-time USA World Cross Country Team member, 37-year-old Clint Wells won the full marathon in a time of 2hr.33 minutes, smashing Bryan Huberty’s 2012 course record of 2hr.42min, while 29-year-old Floridian Angela Cobb, repeated as champion as she broke her 3hr: 00min 2012 record with a new time of 2hr: 54min. 

Jonathan Volpi was the winner of the half marathon in a new course record of 1:12, erasing Cobi Morles’ 2012 time of 1hr: 17min.

Sidney Collie was the first Bahamian full marathoner to cross the finish line in a personal best of 2hr:45min and Bahamian Ramon Williams won the Susan G. Komen Bahamas Race for the Cure® in a time of 18min:11sec.

For the first time this year, Scotiabank added the High School Relay competition that attracted 15 teams from public and private schools. The R M Bailey Senior High School relay team of Kendon Adderley, Cimelio Darling, Tario McKenzie and Eric Pyfrom won with a time of 3hrs: 09 min.

Duncanson, commending Sunshine Insurance president Franklyn Wilson for starting the initiative, said they continue to grow by leaps and bounds every year because of the cohesive unit that they have put together with the steering committee.

“Our team is like one big family,” she said. “We’ve been today from day one and we haven’t really added any new persons to the committee. Everybody knows the role they have to play and they have been fulfilling it. Every year, we look at ways to improve the delivery of what we all have to do. We run like an organisation.”

The event doesn’t offer any cash incentives as the other marathons around the world do. Instead, Duncanson said it’s a charitable event with the proceeds going to the Cancer Society of the Bahamas, the Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation, Sister Sister Breast Cancer Support Group, the Bahamas Breast Cancer Initiative and the Cancer Association of Grand Bahama.

“In the future, we intend to have some discussion on whether or not we will be offering cash prizes,” she said. “However, Marathon Bahamas is a charity run and charity runs are usually for causes. Whatever sponsorship money we get, we really put that money back into the community for the cause.

“In the case of Marathon Bahamas, the money is to benefit the five cancer charities because cancer affects every family in the Bahamas. So as we develop, yes I am sure we will have prize money in the mix. But the purse will allways go to the charity. That is what makes events like ours oversubscribed and well supported because people know when they give to this event, they are giving to a cause.”

Duncanson, however, said they will welcome persons who would want to join Glen Bain, who came up with a donation of $1,000 that was presented to the first Bahamian finisher in the marathon. Sidney Collie was awarded the cash prize for his triumph.