MoBay City Run going virtual

Western Bureau:

THE MOBAY City Run organisers have reconsidered the event’s cancellation.

Organising committee chair­person Janet Silvera said on Sunday, the day the event was to have taken place, that the seventh staging of the 5K/10K Walk and Run event would not take place because of government restrictions on mass gatherings due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but now she says a virtual race will take place instead.

“We had to cancel this year’s run owing to the fact that we are under COVID-19 restrictions,” Silvera said. “Jamaica is on partial lockdown, but that doesn’t stop us from keeping healthy. As a result, MoBay City will be staging a virtual run for 2020. Anywhere in the world, you can enter this run, at a measly figure at that. You can go to our website and enter the virtual 5K/10K run and walk. Just send us your times and we will send your medals and certificates.”

Registration starts on Monday and lasts for three weeks, as does the race.

“By May 31, we hope to ensure you know what your postings and placings are, and we will be able to send you medals and certificates,” she said.

FALSE TIMES

As participants are allowed to compete anywhere and submit results on their own, it raises the possibility of false times being registered.

“You’d be cheating yourself, because it’s a test for yourself to see how well you can do,” Silvera said. “You’re sending in your best time.”

She says organisers will look at times done according to age groups and award medals based on how well individuals do in their respective categories, rather than based on a positions of first, second, and third.

The proceeds from the event will go towards charity. Silvera said the aim this year is to purchase tablets for students who cannot access online classes, which are now being staged more commonly because of the pandemic.

“Our sponsors have helped us to reach where we are now,” she said. “In fact, last year we gave out $4.5 million to education. We are still running for education and still believe that education is hope for the future. We know [that this year] we won’t be able to give the amount of money that we have given over the previous years, but ‘every mickle makes a muckle’. The possibility exists that we might be able to buy tablets for students who are unable to access their classes.”

Persons looking to participate, or just to donate, are asked to do so at mobaycityrun.com.