Athletes will compete from a number of locations, starting today, as the 2020 Bahamas Roadmasters Virtual Bahamas Half, featuring a half marathon, a half marathon relay and 10K (kilometer) racing event, gets underway.
For the first time in its seven-year history, the popular racing event will be held virtually with runners taking part from their respective home bases due to COVID-19.
The participants will take a photo prior to the race, one after the race and a photo of the miles and times completed via a running app. In order to receive a Bahamas Half 2020 completion medal, they will present the photos accompanied by an identification card to the Palmdale Vision Center, in Centreville, on Monday, November 23, between the hours of noon and 5 p.m. Athletes competing overseas can send in notifications via e-mail and will have their medals mailed to them.
Participants still have the option of registering online at the website https://ift.tt/2INoBYP person at Palmdale Vision Centre in Centreville or via phone by calling the numbers (242) 677-2182 or (242) 325-3585. The registration fee is $25.
“It’s set up so they can run the race they registered for within their community on any day between November 16 to November 22, and the run must be in one session. It cannot be broken into some miles today and other miles tomorrow. It must be all done at one time,” said event organizer and Bahamas Roadmasters President Marcel “Bop” Major.
“You have to have proof of the race. We’re excited and looking forward for a grand event.”
The half marathon and half marathon relay covers 13.1 miles and the 10K race is 6.2 miles. Major said they were determined to still stage the race despite the restrictions brought forth by the COVID-19 pandemic, providing an avenue for athletes to remain active and competitive. He said the virtual concept was innovative but one which they felt would catch on with locals and foreigners. Now, the event is about to be realized.
“We are aware that it is a novel running idea and it would take a while for Bahamians to embrace it, but we are very optimistic that those who like the sport of long-distance running will see value in it, which will give them an opportunity to challenge themselves and improve running times and still compete for a medal while we are in a pandemic,” said Major.
“We experimented with it on a small scale during the Labour Day and Independence Day holidays where we promoted a free 10K or 5K Bahamas Roadmasters virtual race and gave away shirts and medals that we had left over from previous Bahamas Half races. The running public embraced it overwhelmingly. Hence, the decision to go full-fledged with our signature race, the Bahamas Half. The only difference this year is this one will be virtual.”
This year, there will be no awards presentation, just completion medals.
“In keeping with COVID-19 protocols, social distancing and avoidance of mass gatherings, and based on international trends in the running world with virtual running, we decided that because we are the country’s only organized long-distance running group, we will give Bahamians an opportunity to still participate in an organized long distance event,” said Major.
The event is sponsored by the Cancer Treatment Centers of America which is headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida, and branches off into comprehensive cancer care treatment facilities in major US cities such as Atlanta, Georgia; Chicago, Illinois; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Phoenix, Arizona; and Tulsa, Oklahoma. This year’s charity recipient of part proceeds will be the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) Welfare Fund for cancer treatment.
“We are also a community-minded organization and giving back to charitable organizations is our mantra,” said Major.
So far, about 200 persons have registered for the event. Major said they have made provisions for 300 and welcome more registrants any day this week.
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source https://thenassauguardian.com/bahamas-half-to-get-underway-today/
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