The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

JUST days away from the sixth Sunshine Insurance Race Weekend, and this year’s event promises to be the biggest edition of the philanthropic effort to date.

Marathon Bahamas, as it is affectionately known by running enthusiasts around the world, includes events for persons of varying abilities and fitness levels and will be hosted January 17-18 in New Providence.

In addition to the marathon and half marathon, Marathon Bahamas includes a four-person relay with distances ranging from 5.7 miles to 7.5 miles and the Susan G Komen Bahamas Race for the Cure 5K.

The Sunshine Insurance Race Weekend has become an increasingly popular event for both local and international runners.

According to Sunshine Insurance coordinator Rogan Smith, registration numbers have steadily improved as online registration ended yesterday.

“One hundred-fourteen per cent more people have registered for the Komen Race for the Cure compared to the same time last year and 33 per cent for the marathon so we are doing really really well,” she said. “We are anticipating about 1,200 people for the marathon, 2,500 for the Komen Race.”

Walk-in registration is still available at the Sunshine Insurance offices on East Shirley Street, however the the price has increased to $45 for the Komen, $120 for the half marathon, $110 for the relay and $320 for the full marathon.

In 2014, husband-and-wife duo Justin and Melissa Gilette emerged as the major storyline at Marathon Bahamas.

The top Bahamian finisher in this year’s event was 40-year old Grand Bahama native Keithrell Hanna.

In the half-marathon, a pair of winners from 2013 returned to reclaim their titles.

Jonathan Volpi took first place on the men’s side and, on the women’s side, Angela Cobb was the winner.

Sidney Deleveaux was the top Bahamian finisher in the half, second overall.

“The marathon is going to be very competitive and we have a lot of elite athletes coming from around the world. The Gilette couple, the husband and wife, the defending champs, they are going to be here. We had competitors coming from 22 countries as far away as New Zealand and Russia,” Smith said. “We are seeing for this marathon individuals who are taking part in the marathon are bringing more family and friends than in past years and that is great for our country as well generating about over 100 room nights and about $2.6 million for the economy. So it is great for sports tourism.”

The 26.2 mile marathon and the 13.2 half marathon will start simultaneously at the oceanfront at Junkanoo Beach 6am Sunday. They will both finish at Arawak Cay.

Saturday morning features the The Susan G Komen Bahamas Race for the Cure 5K. Hundreds of runners and walkers will take to the route which begins at Montagu Beach and finishes at the Atlantis resort on Paradise Island. Sunshine Insurance (Agents & Brokers) Ltd, with MARSH, its international affiliate, in its role as the lead sponsor and organiser for Marathon Bahamas, has fostered a strategic partnership between Marathon Bahamas and Susan G Komen for the Cure, the global leader of the breast cancer movement and the world’s largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists - a partnership that could significantly impact the health of Bahamians, especially in the areas of breast cancer and other women’s health issues.

It is an annual event, not only to raise money for the beneficiaries but also to bring attention to the dreaded disease that affects so many of our Bahamian women. 100 per cent of the money raised by the Race for the Cure will remain in The Bahamas to fund breast cancer and women’s health programmes.

“There isn’t any who has been affected directly or indirectly from caner,” Smith said, “It is a insidious disease that just creeps up on us and we are sick of it and if we are going to get rid of this disease we are going to have to pump money into research and so a lot of Bahamians are waking up to that fact and saying ‘what can I do to give back?’ and this is a wonderful opportunity to spend time with family and celebrate survivorship and raise money for cancer research.”