Cayman Islands marathons/road races
John Henry Ebanks writes: Hearty congratulations to all who participated in the most recent Cayman Islands event. This annual event, while seemingly enjoyed by the participants, does not contemplate the disruptive effect that it has on the public, particularly in areas of the Capital where roads are blocked off, which not only creates a maze of turns and stops for traffic but also delays travel to church and other family activities of residents living in the path of the marathon.
This marathon, in particular, was one where blaring music was being played by the old John Gray High School campus on Walkers Road, a feature not much welcomed. Marathons are good activities and serve useful purposes; however, there is no playbook that says that the course taken has to continue to be the only route.
Why can’t the marathon be held in the eastern part of the island, thus providing not only varied scenery but also giving the opportunity for adjunct activities to be carried out in these areas and giving residents there a chance to participate?
Busing marathon participants to and fro should not be an insurmountable task if properly planned, and again, it would be a nice respite for participants.
The long and short of this missive is to fervently encourage the creation of a marathon course outside of George Town for the reasons mentioned and to preserve sanity and observe some degree of peace and tranquillity as one tries to enjoy, at least for one day, less pain in traversing the streets in town.
The ringing of Sunday morning Church Bells has ceased for many years now, but let us try and keep a little peace in the capital for at least every Sunday of the years to come.
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Category: Viewpoint
I cycle almost everyday at 0500, I went on Sunday and heard the loud music coming from town and saw the signs. I returned home because most of those runners seem to lose their road sense and seem to think that all vehicles must give way to them. I don’t begrudge them having their day but does anyone brief them on safety? I did my ride later to avoid them and thankfully there was a cool breeze, but honestly I stay away from that route and event because it is just too dangerous both for the runners and traffic. The whole route should be closed to all traffic.
As a runner, agree they need to change the route as so boring especially along Walkers Road.
Other Marathons bus their runners to the start, without difficulty.
Could even use WB road, and go along coast to Barkers and back
Ah, invoking the power of the church mention, in order to elicit support!
It’s one morning, pretty much over by mid-morning, and it raises lots of money for charity, and encourages people to run or walk a challenging distance.
Dude, you need to chill.
Get off my lawn!!
You must be great fun at parties….can’t wait to see you rain on everyones Xmas festivities.
Does opinion that is different from yours is a good reason to insult a person you know nothing about?
If it was up to me, south sound road/south church street would be closed every Sunday morning for people to bike, run and walk with fearing for their lives. Cayman is such a car centric Island, let the runners have their morning once per year. Everyone knows that this event takes place the 1st Sunday in December each year, should not be difficult to pencil it in your calendar and leave for church a little bit earlier that one day.
Amen!
Everyone knows this takes place December 1? That’s news to me and I’m someone.
Go walk on TMB (Three mile beach) and you won’t have to worry about cars or bikes.
Any other brilliant ideas or assertions?
Of all the mountains to pick to die on…
So 1,500 runners in East End would be fine because you are not inconvenienced.
This is a fantastic event, organised by a small local business, that has a very significant number of local resident participants per capita.
Additionally, as well as bringing in a significant number of tourists it has seen some genuinely top-class athletes over the years visit.
The race should be supported and celebrated and if that can’t be done, for the sake of 6 hours on a Sunday morning
I would have thought at least be tolerated.
Walkers is a small local business?
I totally understand how you feel, but it’s not just the marathon, it’s a lot of events. It happened during Pirates Week and does during Caymas and Batabano (events that should be together, not separate). Honestly our roads are not adequate for closures and the extended road works near Cardinal ave are a huge reason for the extra annoyance at these events.
We need to stop having festivals like pirates week on harbour drive as well. The population has grown too much to shut down a major road. It wasn’t a problem when we were only 30k people, but we’re now approaching 100k and the congestion they cause isn’t worth it. Either move the events or cancel them altogether.
Imagine when we get to 250,000 like McBeater/McPisser wants!
lol god forbid you cant drive your car for a few hours at 5am once a year because of charity
What a bizarre missive, one of the few annual events that brings out the very best in humanity and raises funds for worthwhile charitable causes should be moved because of a little inconvenience. Where is your sense of sacrifice Mr “Christian” John Henry Ebanks?
If we are getting rid of events, which we shouldn’t, here are about a dozen other events that should go first.
Be thankful they run the Mercury Man and some other races in the Eastern Districts. It is a major logistical challenge to organize this WORTHWHILE event and I think we can forgive the minor inconvenience for one morning a year.
maybe have better overall development planning that allows for national events like this to take place with minimal interruption. its what 1st world countries do
Well do we look 1st world to you??
Mr Ebanks, the marathon starts at 4am, the half marathon at 5am, it is all done by around 9am on a Sunday, other than hog sty bay, where finishers celebrate and enjoy time together until late morning.
This event has been developed through the commitment to give back to our community by a Caymanian business, Kelly Holding. Most of their business historically has been outside Cayman, the Cayman Marathon has been a passion project and contributes much to Cayman, now becoming a powerful and wholesome part of our Cayman culture in the 21st century.
I myself volunteered as a safety cyclist for many years, riding the whole course twice each event then going back and forth in central GT guiding runners in and looking for safety issues (eg very tired runners).
I speak to you as one of the many who ask that you too contribute to the marathon by simply being accepting of those few hours of activity on a quiet Sunday morning one weekend each year
The music at 4am in the morning is totally unnecessary and grotesquely antisocial. Just don’t.
Far better than the racket that comes from the Lions Centre every Sunday morning and wakes everyone in the neighbourhood up.
This is a fantastic charity fundraising event. I’m sure your god (Christian or otherwise) would surely understand a Sunday morning once a year, until 11am being used for such a worthwhile event?
I also live on a road that is blocked during the marathon & is disturbed by music, but I go outside & applaud the participants.
Signed Caymankind
My goodness me, is there any other god than the Christian one? We were always taught in school that there was only one and all those others that billions of people worship are just bogus gods. Aren’t we lucky to have the one true one?