Among sports fans, Jamaica is associated with speed. Usain Bolt continues to create sprinting myths and is known as the fastest man in the world. In the minds of young artistic people, Jamaica reminds them more of music. This is the birthplace of reggae music with rich rhythms and unique beats. Bob Marley, a world-famous musician from Jamaica, created this unique and languid form of music and is known as the father of reggae. What kind of chemical reaction will occur when running and reggae music collide? After running a reggae marathon in Jamaica, you might know the answer. At 5:15 in the morning, in the small town of Negril before dawn, the Reggae Marathon starts here. As per official requirements, we arrived at the starting point before 4:30. Runners from all over the world gather here to warm up to the rhythm of reggae music. More than once, when I saw the thin but strong Jamaican teenagers gathering in groups on the sidelines, I couldn't help but lament that running training in Jamaica really started with children. After being trained by world long-distance running champion Sun Yingjie, the members of the running team from China were fully prepared and stood at the starting point with confidence. As the whistle sounded to start the race, the bustling crowd on the track began to rush forward. There were shining torches on both sides of the road. In addition to the lighting, it also adds a bit of romance. Because it was dark and there was no sunshine, the first hour of running was very comfortable. Every mile, the staff at the aid station will prepare bags of water and energy drinks for runners on both sides of the road, and oranges and bananas will be provided starting from mile 7, in case runners need them at any time.
The most special thing is of course the reggae music played continuously along the way. Reggae music’s roots can be traced back to the jazz capital of New Orleans. It is said that the Jamaican musicians slowed down the fast-paced RB music from New Orleans at the time and asked the locals to dance happily at a slightly slower tempo in the high temperature outside. This developed into their own RB music, which then continued to change and gradually developed into a fusion Reggae music incorporating traditional African rhythms, American R&B and Latin music. It is considered Latin Hip-Hop, which sounds happy and sexy, making people dance to it unconsciously. Marathon aligns well with reggae in terms of public engagement and bringing joy to people. I wonder if the organizers also saw this, so they perfectly combined the two, making the Jamaica Reggae Marathon the only marathon with music throughout. The 16-year-old Reggae Marathon is now Jamaica's premier international marathon, attracting runners and visitors from around the world each year with its full, half and 10km races. Selected into the world's top ten marathons many times. During the run, we also felt the professionalism and orderliness of the event arrangement. Professional supplies, humanized encouragement near the sprint point, smart chips accurately track each runner's running status and information, and commentators at the sprint point warmly introduce each runner who crosses the finish line. The route of the Reggae Marathon is arranged to run back, so you will meet people on the opposite side of the road and even meet again. Everyone smiled and encouraged each other, and spectators on both sides of the road also applauded and praised the runners. The atmosphere is very friendly. As the organizers said: We hope that all contestants will be like a big family. In such a joyful atmosphere, the members of the middle running team rushed offline with excellent results, bringing wave after wave of surprises. The first person in our team to reach the finish line was Jiang Shang, the founder of Chongqing Running Group, one of the most influential running groups in southwest China. He finished sixth in the marathon, sixth in the men's group, and third in the age group with a time of 3 hours, 15 minutes and 01 seconds.
The second person to reach the finish line was our long-distance running world champion Sun Yingjie. She finished third in the women's group and second in the age group with a time of 3 hours, 51 minutes and 51 seconds.
Then our cross-country running enthusiast Gao Hailian became 8th in the women’s group and 2nd in the age group in 4 hours, 8 minutes and 33 seconds. Three other contestants, Dong, Guo Zhihao, and Liu Xin, also successfully completed the competition.
Star Xiong Naijin, who participated in the 10-kilometer race for the first time, easily won the championship in 1 hour, 20 minutes and 30 seconds, which was amazing.
In addition to these joys, today’s sprint to the finish line was also particularly touching. A Jamaican woman cried when she ran to the finish line. Everyone kept telling her, "You are awesome!" I saw an athlete-looking man staggering towards the finish line. The moment he crossed the finish line, he was unable to move on the ground.
What kind of strength supported him to endure so much hardship and still insist on crossing the finish line before falling? There were also runners in their 80s who finished the whole race happily, and their partners crossed the finish line hand in hand. Of course, there are more runners whose eyes and eyebrows are filled with uncontrollable joy when they finish the race. Marathon has long surpassed running itself and become a kind of spirit.
In particular, city marathons are now very popular. It is no longer a pure sports event, but a fusion of urban culture, customs and history. It advocates a healthy, positive and never-give-up attitude towards life. It is a personalized travel and lifestyle that brings us fun and special experiences. When you cross the finish line, your life may have changed.
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