Ashley Anguin - STAR Writer
An overwhelmed Ray Simpson choked up in tears when asked about the record-breaking turnout at the Jill Stewart MoBay City Run, named after his beloved daughter, and wife of tourism mogul Adam Stewart on Sunday.
Emotional, at first Simpson declined, then admitted he was taken aback by the thought that she was no longer alive. Afterwards, he found the strength to offer thanks to the more than 7,000 participants who hit the streets for the event that got off to a 6 a.m. start at Harmony Beach Park.
"Jilly, my daughter, would be so happy to see all the people who came out. This was her joy, and I know her legacy will continue to carry on in Montego Bay with this run," he said.
"I want to thank everybody for turning out, and I miss her so much," he offered, conceding that his emotions would get the best of him if he continued speaking.
His son-in-law, and Caribbean hotel icon Adam picked up, underscoring how important the run was for his late wife.
"I'm just completely overwhelmed. When you look out at the sea of people, the support from all over Jamaica, as far as Kingston, Portland, people from the Cayman Islands, Canada, England, who flew in specifically for the event. I have a huge sense of gratitude," he said.
"My wife was a trained educator and a teacher, she represented the community, and the cause is for education, and all things health and fitness. Last year we had over 4,000 and this year, word of mouth is that this year we have over 7,000; so next year let's aim for 10,000."
The Sunday morning vibes was evident in excited motorists tooting their horns as the sea of participants flowed through the streets lined with entertainment and refreshments along the 5K, 10K and walking route.
There was jubilation all round as some runners pushed hard from the start. Others employed a more conservative approach, while some breathed hard, tumbled and bounced each other as they made the trek - all the time in good humour.
Then there were the less able individuals with knee bands and walkers. A man was seen doing the 5K run walk with his three-year-old son in his hands, and other parents who pushed their babies in strollers along the way, taking selfies and group photos as a feature of the mix.
St Thomas native Garfield Gordon, the winner of the male 5K Run, travelled from Portmore, St Catherine, to participate. Despite being absent for two years, he always had a strong feeling that he would win.
"I've been doing some long running. I train six days a week, and I have been doing some marathon training for a few months. So I knew I was in the best shape to come out here and win," Gordon said.
Meanwhile, the 10K male winner Kamar Thomas, travelled to Jamaica from the US for the first time in order to participate in the run. Like female 10K winner Tonya Busse, he was overjoyed at his triumph.
Corporate winners were RIU Resorts Jamaica, with over 1,000 participants registering. Second place was Sandals/Beaches Resorts with over 800 and third was Rainforest with close to 300 participants.
"It is a race that I always wanted to run, and coming to Jamaica and running it for the first time and winning. It is really an awesome feeling," offered an elated Thomas. "For this race, I knew that I had to run my personal best to win based on the other competitors, so I just prepared myself to run my personal best and it paid off."
Busse, a teacher, who lives in Kingston, shared: "I really enjoyed it, it was a nice course, nice views of the ocean where you can jump right in after you finish. I suffered a little bit when I was getting tired at the end but it was not too bad. It was a good energy, good vibe."
'Why I Run' was the theme this year for the ninth staging, which aimed to highlight for participants their deeply personal reasons, whether education, the memory of loved ones, health and wellness, or friendly support.
Once an avid participant in the race, Jill Stewart died from liposarcoma in 2023, and the run was rebranded in her honour.
