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May 2, 2024

Reggae Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Reggae Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 3.9

Organization 4.2

Spectators 3.5

Number of comments: 40 [displaying comments 11 to 21]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 > ]

Eric Deutsch from United States (12/14/2009) "Great Winter Marathon/Best Pasta Dinner!" (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Reggae Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 My wife and I have not been on a real vacation for three and a half years. We decided to go to Jamaica, and being a runner, lobbied for the week of the Reggae Marathon. Pasta Dinner: As the website claims, it is the best pre-race pasta dinner I have ever eaten! There were eight or so tents where local resorts cooked their signature pasta dish. The entertainment was great and the packet pick-up was very organized. Race: It starts at 5:15 a.m. Run along the road outside the resorts. There are a few nice views of the ocean, but you do not run beside the ocean. It gets HOT! By 8:00 it was above 80. The bagged water/Gatorade is awesome. When I go back to Jamaica I will be there the first week of December every time.
Philip Lawrence from New Orleans, Louisiana (12/30/2008) "Ya mon!" (about: 2008) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Reggae Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my 100th marathon and it was well-organized and fun! At several points along the route, I stopped and struck a "Lighting Bolt" pose - the famous pose of Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt who won three gold medals in three world-record times at the 2008 Beijing Olympics - and when I did it at the finish line, the crowd went crazy. I also had a fantastic vacation - I rented a motorcycle, traveled all over the island, ate Caribbean food, partied with the locals, cliff-dived and sang onstage with the reggae band at Rick's Cafe, played on the beach and swam in the ocean. Thank you for staging such a great race and for your warmth and kindness. Bless up, mon!
Kathy Waldron from Green Bay, Wisconsin (12/10/2008) "THE BEST!!!" (about: 2008) 50+ previous marathons \| 2 Reggae Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I ran this race four years ago and thought that "you can't improve on perfection." But you did!!! EVERYTHING about this race was FIRST-CLASS! I cannot wait to come and run it again! You Jamaicans rock!! Thank you so much for the GREAT time you showed to me and my daughter, Sarah!! I love you people! Thank you SO MUCH!
L. B. from NYC (12/14/2007) "Awesome Pasta Dinner" (about: 2007) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Reggae Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 Best pasta party I've ever been to. The race was beautiful and the bagged water is a great idea. Loved the coconuts and beer at the finish. I would only recommend to have more complementary drinks at the pasta party at the finish. Also, they should "really" shut down the roads. I was almost hit by a hustler in a mini-bus. Overall, a solid marathon with a lot of potential for growth. I would consider it a second time around. RESPECT, Mon. :-)
C. I. from Detroit Lakes, MN (12/11/2007) "Pretty much what I expected" (about: 2007) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Reggae Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 The race was what I expected coming into it. I really liked the early start. Once the sun came out, the heat became very intense. An aid station every mile was great! I had no problems staying hydrated the whole course. The people (except a few locals along the course) were very friendly and helpful. Half of the course is through town, so all you see are the entrances of the resorts. This is not such a big deal since most of this is run in the dark. Once out of town, there were a few larger hills, but the scenery was great. I was in Jamaica to attend a wedding. If I had to be in Jamaica for another event like the wedding, I would for sure run the marathon again. Despite the intense heat, I still managed a PR by 10 minutes!
M. K. from USA (12/5/2007) "Reggae Marathon? Where were the bands?" (about: 2007) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Reggae Marathon COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 I registered for this run expecting a "reggae" marathon. There was one reggae band for the marathon and just reggae music blaring from cars on the side of the road. The run was painfully boring. You run through the resort section of Negril and have no views. Around mile six you finally get a glimpse of the ocean for a bit. This marathon begins at 5 a.m. in order to beat the heat, so expect to run most of the course in the dark. Despite thinking that the course was boring, the organization was very good, the water stops were plentiful, and the finisher's medal was nice. There are no spectators except for tourists supporting people they knew running - though to me this is not a big deal. I agree with a few other postings regarding the safety of Jamaica. JAMAICA IS DANGEROUS. There WERE hustlers and drug dealers all over the place who were very aggressive. Unfortunately, you really cannot leave your hotel or the beach front due to the harassment. Would I go back? Probably not.
D. D. from New York, NY (12/4/2007) "Well organized, but boring course." (about: 2007) 11-50 previous marathons COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 Not a brilliant time. The good: 1. Very well organized expo and run. 2. Water stops every mile. 3. Enthusiastic volunteers. 4. Adequate porta-johns. 5. Nice finisher's medal. 6. You begin the run at 5 a.m., so you avoid the heat. The negatives: 1. You begin the run at 5 a.m., which means that if you run the half, you do the entire thing almost in the dark. 2. The course goes through the resort section of Negril, which means you run along the road in the dark and you just see the entrance ways for hotels. 3. I had expected there to be reggae bands along the way - there was just one band on the course that you passed twice. BE WARNED: Jamaica is full of drug dealers and hustlers trying to peddle their garbage to you. This means about every 10 minutes you're approached while on the beach by someone - and even more frequently if you're out on the street. Jamaica has great food, beautiful beaches and nice people - but a general sense of not feeling safe and secure is how I felt my entire trip. If you do head down, my suggestion is to stay in an all-inclusive resort that has security, and DO NOT travel alone.
staci goldsberry from Kaysville, Utah (6/26/2007) "Best marathon, best people!" (about: 2006) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Reggae Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my 2nd marathon; my first was Honolulu, so I was expecting to be treated like a nobody in the massive crowds of people, like in Hawaii. This was hardly the case! The marathon was small; I am not sure how many people ran it, but I was treated like an individual. I met one of the race directors at the expo the day before the race and next day; as soon as I was at the finish line, he called me out by my first name and asked me how I was feeling. Only in Jamaica!! I have since run the Salt Lake Marathon (where I currently live) and was ashamed that my home state was outdone by a 3rd world country with less money, people and resources. Jamaica was perfect! Sure, the expo was small, but it was also quaint and personal. The gentleman who was running the booth helped me pick out the "perfect" bracelet I needed for the race. I wanted shells that had "rhythm" when I ran. I definitely found them! The start was unbelievable, the girls handing out water and Gatorade at the start were so cool! Jumping up and down, singing songs - they were so full of energy! The torches were also great! The race course was absolutely stunning! The people were beautiful; the scenery was beautiful. I truly loved every moment of it! There were some parts of the race where I was running completely alone, but I really liked it. It gave me a few moments to think about how happy I am to be here in paradise doing what I love doing! They had aid stations every mile and there was never a line or a crowd of people waiting for water. The last few miles were in the hot sun, but I loved it! Living in Utah, I have never felt such dynamite sun rays! I really enjoyed it! At the finish line they had a cool misting tent, it felt so good to sit in there with my ice cold Red Stripe! I also had a fresh coconut that was sliced open with a big sword - it was too cool! The pre-pasta dinner was one of the best dinners I have ever had! Everything was so fresh and so full of flavor! I just wished I had a bigger stomach so I could eat more! Just remeber to bring your own water because they don't supply any! I met the most wonderful people while in Jamaica! When you go there, be sure to buy some patties from the Patty Man. He rides his bicycle around and sells hot chicken and beef patties. They are so good! I wish I could have one right now. Also, if you get a chance, go to the west end of the beach, where the cliffs are. Right next to Samsara Hotel is a gentleman named Elvis who sells wood carvings on the side of the road. He is a really nice guy with some unique carvings that he does himself. I am saving all of my money to go back and run this marathon again!
S. H. from Austin, Texas (5/17/2007) "Gotta do it, Mon" (about: 2006) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Reggae Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 Packet pick was easy. Expo? Who needs it? The start with the torches was impressive. The course was a little hilly and there were many sections where you could be all alone. The fans around Negril were enthusiastic, but in some areas farther out the race seemed to be an inconvenience. It is a 3rd world country and there are a lot of very poor people there. We had to share the road with cars, buses and motor bikes. There's no emissions testing in Jamaica mon. Cough, cough. The water and Gatorade in the sealed plastic bags was fabulous. Many aid stations had ice in the bags that you could carry to keep cool until you reached the next station. Despite the early start, temps reached the 80s a couple hours into the race and there wasn't a whole lot of shade. The finish was well supported with a medical tent, Red Stripe beer and fresh coconuts. The pasta and post-race parties were a lot of fun if a bit disorganized. Jamaica is beautiful and this a great destination race.
Terri Siers from Illinois- Usa (12/18/2006) "By far the most magical marathon I have done." (about: 2006) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Reggae Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I picked to do the Reggae marathon because it was my 10th and I LOVE Jamaica. The people of Jamaica are still the nicest people that I have come across in my travels. The course is beautiful. The bagged water and Gatorade was such a good idea. I wasn't very fast because it was a little warm but the support group was very patient. Thanks for a great race!!

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