Minister: Kingston City Run highlights Jamaica’s capital as an ideal tourist destination

Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has lauded Kingston City Run Marathon as a unique event which highlights Kingston as an ideal tourist destination to thousands each year.

While at the launch of the Kingston City Run at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, the Minister shared that “the event is a part of the constellation of marathons across Jamaica which significantly drives arrivals. These marathons are becoming central parts of Jamaica’s tourism product and are therefore now calendar items that can be marketed along with the destination and its other offerings.”

He further noted that the marathon is expected to add value to Jamaica’s tourism product because it has the potential to create new business models.

“Marathons like Kingston City Run bring people who are great subscribers of Airbnb, for example. It is broadening the base of tourism involvement and ‘stakeholdership’ in Kingston because the people who come to Kingston City Run are going to be housed from Trench Town to Norbrook and many of our hotels,” he said
The Kingston City Run is slated to take place on Sunday March 12, 2017 under the theme “Calling all Heroes”. Participants, who are encouraged to wear super-hero inspired attire, will have the unique opportunity to walk or run through some of Kingston’s most iconic attractions.

“I am so happy that there is added focus in Kingston as it has so much to offer. So we are going to make more people come to Kingston. In fact, the sixth network my Ministry will be focusing on is City Tourism with Kingston as its epicentre. Kingston has its own allurement, excitement and tremendously rich culture and entertainment. We are going to leverage that,” shared the Minister.

Nicola Madden-Greig, co-chair and co-founder of Kingston City Run Organizing Committee shared that the aim for this year’s event is to raise approximately J$5 million for charity.

“This year we will be doing more to support our homeless and vulnerable communities through five main charities: Open Arms Drop in Centre, Marie Atkins Night Shelter, Food for the Poor, Missionaries for the Poor and Alpha Institute. Over the past four years we have been able to raise over J$ 9 million and this has gone a far way in improving the lives of many,” said Madden-Greig.

The organizers have also incorporated new elements in this year’s event. One such feature is “Give Things a Running Chance”, which hopes to target 1000 inner-city children who cannot afford to participate. They will also be offering a special discount rate to university students.