THE MARATHON SECTION of the Run Barbados series could be on its last legs.
Dwindling numbers and a general lack of interest in the festival’s most gruelling race have forced the Barbados Tourism Authority (BTA) to reassess the marathon’s viability for future series in a review meeting today.
The BTA’s plan of action was made public yesterday at the Bay Street finish-line as a record-low 70 athletes contested the 27th edition of Barbados’ premier marathon.
“We either have to improve to a point where it makes sense or scrap it,” BTA sports consultant Hayden Coppin said candidly.
“It cannot continue as it is, where it’s the most expensive race to put on, the hardest race to organise and then attract less than we want.
“If the event isn’t giving us the type of returns that we want are we ready to continue with it?”
Once considered the major drawing card for the Run Barbados series, the marathon has seen a steady decline in competitors since its heyday in the 1990s, especially in Barbadian runners, as just one Barbadian female participated yesterday.
And with the organisers lacking the major funds to attract the world’s elite, the marathon will struggle to market itself overseas without the star appeal.
“The numbers are dwindling but it’s not really a Barbados thing because it seems to be a global trend where marathons are losing their appeal,” Coppin reasoned.
“Research we have been doing indicates that some of the world’s major marathons, Boston and New York, continue to draw large crowds, but some of the small, peripheral-type marathons have been losing numbers.
And they are some states in the United States that are dropping marathons from their schedule.
“It is a gruelling event, and let’s face it, marathoners are a special breed,” he added.
Around 60 to 80 runners from Britain were ruled out of the festival earlier last week after heavy snowfall in England forced the closure of the top two airports.
It didn’t help the already fading marathon’s cause any when defending champs Josiane Oboungono and Victor Ledger were forced to pull out due to illness and injury respectively.
But the worldwide rise in popularity of half-marathons and 10k races were already spelling doom for an event that couldn’t even attract 20 home runners.
According to Coppin, the numbers in the 10K were up this year and the innovative 3K and 5K events were generally received well, especially among the schools.
“Some of us have a thought that maybe we have to be focusing on the 10K and making it the best 10K in the world,” disclosed BTA sports manager Gregory Armstrong.
“[But] I think we have to sit down and analyse the race carefully,” he added.
“It’s really of deep concern to all of us that are involved in the race but I always thought we would have challenges with the marathon because of the heat and the inability to close off the roads.”
Certain sections of the media have called for the Amateur Athletic Association (AAA) to play a greater role in advancing the series by putting greater emphasis on schools’ distance running.
It’s a view shared by both Coppin and Armstrong, who believe the AAAs should initiate a series of distance races that serve as a lead-in to the Run Barbados festival.
“I think we should keep the marathon but we need to find an avenue to get the locals involved,” Armstrong reasoned.
“I don’t think it has achieved its potential.”
