(CMR) The 2021 Walkers Cayman Islands Marathon will take place this weekend on Sunday, 5 December, with several adjustments and new protocols in place to adhere to the current Public Health regulations and ensure participants, volunteers, and officials are as safe as possible.
“We were really looking forward to returning to our normal set up this year, as well as welcoming back more of our overseas runners, who are so eager to travel to Cayman again. However, as COVID-19 continues to impact our community, we had to make significant but necessary adjustments to ensure that those who want to participate will still be able to do so, and safely,” said Co-Race Director Rhonda Kelly of Kelly Holding Events & Communications.
“We appreciate that some of the changes that we have to implement this year may not be ideal or convenient – for neither our participants nor us as organizers – but we ask for everyone’s patience and cooperation once again as we do our best to provide a safe, enjoyable experience on race day.”
The organizing team applied to Cabinet and RCIPS for approval to stage the event and to obtain guidance on the best way to execute the race, keep participants safe and adhere to Public Health COVID-19 requirements.
Several guidelines have been implemented. This includes four start times to adhere to the 250-person gathering limit for outdoors. Races will start at 4:30 am, 4:45 am, 5:00 am, and 5:15 am to accommodate the almost 1000 participants expected to line up on Sunday morning. In addition, the original start/finish line has been moved to Hard Rock Café on South Church Street to allow for enhanced social distancing measures by utilizing the Bayshore Mall parking lot.
The runners will also gather in four separate areas as they await the start of their race. No spectators are allowed as participants have been told to ask their supporters not to come to the start/finish line to see them participate. In addition, participants will not be able to linger around the finish line to wait for other participants to finish their race as they have done in the past. Instead, they have been asked to take advantage of the refreshments and leave the site as soon as possible.
The awards ceremony for the half marathon event will take place at 9:30 am, two hours earlier than previous years, to facilitate persons leaving the area sooner. In the past, half marathon runners expecting awards would have to wait until 11:30 am. The awards for the full marathon and team relay participants will take place at the usual time of 11:30 am.
For enhanced safety, pre-packaged refreshments will be served at the start/finish line so that runners can grab and go, reducing unnecessary contact. In addition, the Caybrew Light beer will be served in cans and not cups.
There will be no on-site prize drawings for Kids Fun Run. This year the random prize drawings at the end of the Milo Kids Fun Run will be done the next day by organizers, and parents will be contacted to collect their children’s prizes. Kids will get their Milo refreshments at the end of their fun run, and parents should leave with them immediately to avoid crowding at the finish line for that event.
A virtual race option is also available. Persons who are not comfortable participating in the race with others can register to run the distance by themselves or with fewer people and still receive a souvenir t-shirt and medal. The Cayman Islands Department of Tourism’s UK office has partnered with the Walkers Cayman Islands Marathon and Real Buzz Events to offer the Cayman Virtual Running Experience, which features a full and half marathon, as well as 10k and 5k options. To date, 170-plus persons from around the world have registered to run Cayman virtually. Residents can sign up at RunCayman.com.
Late registration and Packet Pick Up for registered participants will take place at the Westin Resort on Saturday, 4 December between 9 am and 5 pm. Persons can ask the Race Directors any questions about the event as well as get last-minute injury prevention tips, courtesy of Dr. Prathap Vincent from Health City’s Orthopaedic Department.
“We are quite proud to continue our long-standing partnership with the Cayman Islands Marathon. A healthy population is important for any society, and with hundreds of people preparing for the event, from a competitive standpoint or toward a goal of lifestyle changes, it is heartening to witness such commitments to healthy lifestyles,” said Shomari Scott, Health City Chief Business Officer.
“We wish participants all the best for a fun and injury-free run. In the unfortunate event that someone picks up an injury or unwanted aches and pains, we are offering free consultations with our orthopedic specialists for all 2021 marathon participants, as part of Health City’s sponsorship.”
Health City will have a table at Packet Pick Up alongside the Crisis Centre, CCMI, and Guardians Alive.
The Kids Fun Run, sponsored by MILO and the Ministry of Youth & Sports, will start at 10:15 am at the Government Administration Building on Elgin Avenue and end at Hard Rock Cafe. This event is free for students between the ages of 5 and 11 years old and is expected to bring in about 200 kids this year.
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