“Is it a marathon, or a ‘Jouvert Marathon’?”
Those were the words from Marlon Hopkinson on TV6’s morning edition Thursday as he interviewed Shelly Licorish from the Midnight Marathon committee, and Larry Mc Donald, Bafasports Director.
While it was the classic Beyond the Tape Hopkinson humour, the question in itself was evident that we’ve reshaped the T&T road running ecosystem for good.
A friend of mine who works in marketing also was asking what the whole recent “5K craze” was about.
More evidence that the ecosystem is as lively as ever, and we’re all here for it.
Don’t fear the night
The Midnight Marathon is here at last. It’s not the race we deserve, but the race we need.
Dark Knight references aside, last year’s edition really had an urban-myth feel to it. Instagram users were incredulous about the numerous posts across the platform, as their timeline was littered with updates with people in full kit running in the dark of the night.
Fast forward a year, and now the secret is out.
Thursday morning, both Licorish, and Mc Donald brought the details to the forefront on national television as we featured on The Morning Edition to promote the race. From regular features in the Trinidad Express, to spots on TV6 and CNC3 News, now to the morning talkshows.
“We finally reach!”
What to look out for
This year will feature a two-in-one package for want of a better explanation, as two races will be going on at the same time.
The Ekiden Relay will take place around the Queen’s Park Savannah during the two hours plus of down time during the actual marathon.
That means 300 runners will vie for the top team spot in the Ekiden relay while 400 runners, including 20 international runners, will feature in the marathon – that’s 700 runners in total.
And I know what you’re thinking: what on earth’s an Ekiden relay?
It’s a long-distance team running event where multiple runners complete different sections or legs of a race, passing a sash called a tasuki from one teammate to the next instead of a traditional baton.
As you’ve probably guessed, it’s a Japanese concept, and has become one of the country’s most celebrated sporting traditions, especially at the university and corporate levels.
Some Ekiden races cover marathon distances, while others can stretch over hundreds of kilometres across several days.
Runners often have to balance endurance and running strategy which will make for quite the spectacle as they pass the sash along the marathon route as the marathon runners make their pilgrimage down the Priority Bus Route.
Switching over to the marathon, the course starts from the NCC Foyer at the Grand Stand, and heads steadily downtown until the runners cut east to the PBR, where they will trek their way as far east as Dinsley, before making the u-turn back to Port of Spain, and the QPS where the event started.
The usual bells and whistles
And of course, there will be the usual bells and whistles and then some. A pre-race aerobics warm up, glow-in-the-dark medals, the athletes village for the usual post-race refuel, hydration and motivation stations which will include road-side calypso and soca, as well as a $16,000 prize for the winners lying in wait.
Will a new course record be set this weekend?
In the last six months national runner Tafari Waldron has become a name synonymous with Bafasports. He has crossed the line in first in all but one of the Midnight Runner Series races, with only training partner Nicholas Romany besting him at the Midnight 10k Ariapita in March.
However, this time around Waldron, along with Romany, Darius Harding, and Donell Francis, won’t be stepping to the plate as the distance isn’t quite their tempo.
This time the likes of Michael Honore, Alex Ekesa, Collin Pereira, are the names to look out for in the men’s, while Zara Suite-Stewart, Celine Lestrade, Sjaelan Evans, Christina Laurent, and Palmenia Raquel Agued Berrio would be the heavy-hitters in the women’s.
The burning question will be if the course record will be lowered in 2026? Last year Barrio clocked in at two hours, 55 minutes and 47 seconds, while Ekesa set his respective course record in 2:28.46.
Tomorrow morning is their opportunity to answer that question in earnest on the road.
We will own the night
It all comes to the stage tomorrow morning at midnight. Running shorts, Garmin watches, running kicks, and all the other trappings of the big race aside, this one promises to be one for the ages.
We will see you there!