The story begins in 2008 when I ran my first and only marathon at Reggae Marathon in Negril, Jamaica. I did it with Sally's full support.
It was a fund raiser as well. Together, Sally and I raised over $5,000 for the Canadian Diabetes Foundation, the charity we picked to honor my Dad who passed away in 2007. A complex confluence of emotions surrounded that first Reggae Marathon event. And it was there that we came together with the Reggae Marathon family from Jamaica and around the world that continued for 11 years. It has endured to this day.
Over the course of those annual pilgrimages to Negril, a couple of my sons came along. Courtney paced me through the finish of one half marathon sacrificing his time to see me through a challenging race. The next year both he and his twin brother Andrew made the trek along with a couple of friends. That year we also connected with our Jamaican family...that was a race weekend to remember!
After coming along for the first two races, Sally begged off. As a non-runner and not a sun worshiper as I was, the race weekend didn't offer her much. As the Reggae Marathon social media guy I was busy all of the time in Negril. She let me get away every December to 'play with my Reggae Marathon family'. Thank you Sally!
I stopped going to Negril for Reggae Marathon after the 2019 event. I felt then that 11 consecutive years was enough. And what timing! Who knew about COVID 19 that would stop the world for the next couple of years including the live Reggae Marathon event. But the Reggae Marathon stuck together. On one of his annual vacations to Negril toward the end of the pandemic, Larry Savitch a long-time runner and Reggae Marathon regular, posted beach pictures. I lived vicariously through those posts. Thank you Larry.
But the pull to go back to Reggae Marathon continued.
I had planned to run Reggae Marathon in 2022. That changed in March when Sally got diagnosed with brain cancer. Everything changed that day.
One of the photos in the collage I put together has her sitting under the broiling sun at the finish line of that first Marathon in 2008.
I finished over an hour later than I had told her, and worried about her worrying about me. But as I ran down the finish chute and saw her sitting there smiling...there are no words! I felt her presence that day on the final few miles to the finish. Thank you Sally!
Earlier this year Courtney, Andrew and Holden hatched a plan for a family vacation. In no time we settled on Negril in December. We're booked now: kids, spouses, grandkids...12 in all. We've even got a few other friends and families coming along! Courtney, Andrew and I are running in the Reggae Marathon and the non-runners in our family will make up a large cheering section at the finish! Can't wait!
Despite not being a fan of the broiling sun or heat, Sally will be looking down on us this December. She'll be smiling as she watches her family come together at Reggae Marathon 2023.
Until next time...
