The Sunshine Insurance Marathon Bahamas III is scheduled for the January 14-15 weekend in 2012. As such, the race classic will lead off what is expected to be an eventful sporting year in The Commonwealth of The Bahamas.
There is the new state of the art Thomas Robinson National Stadium that will be officially opened, perhaps in February of next year. The Swimming Carifta Championships are to be hosted here in March.
The International Tennis Federation-sanctioned Women’s Open is slated also for March.
The regular basketball sports/tourism events (for Grand Bahama and New Providence)will be scheduled as per usual. Undoubtedly the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations will make a strong effort to have a major competition at the new stadium.
On top of all that, 2012 is an Olympic year. The Bahamas has been on a medal-winning streak since Frank Rutherford won the triple jump bronze at the Barcelona Olympics of 1992.
In 1996 at Atlanta, the Original Golden Girls won the sprint relay silver medal; in 2000 at the Sydney Olympics, Pauline Davis won the gold medal in the 200 meters and she teamed up with the other Original Golden Girls to win another gold in the sprint relay.
In 2004 at the Athens Olympics, Tonique Williams-Darling captivated the world with her thrilling 400 meters gold medal race and Original Golden Girl Debbie Ferguson gutted out a bronze medal in the 200 meters with an awesome drive to the finish.
Leevan Sands earned the country another triple jump bronze medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
This year it’s a certainty that our athletes will be geared up. The preparation along the road to London 2012 should indeed be quite exciting.
Starting all of the anticipated sports delights for the nation in 2012 will be Marathon Bahamas.
I hold the view that a very special dimension to Marathon Bahamas this year would be for the finish to take place at the new stadium. I believe a scene of the governor general, Sir Arthur Foulkes and Marathon Bahamas Chairman Franklyn Wilson there at the new facility greeting the first place finisher would be truly awesome and quite historic.
It would in fact be the first event of note at the stadium.
That would be a great marketing tool to get a greater participation by locals. Bahamians would fly in from all over the country to be at the new stadium to enjoy the fanfare of the Marathon Bahamas finish there.
It would be a festival atmosphere.
Whatever the case though, Marathon Bahamas still holds down an important slot for 2012.
The organizers have been pushing to the limit to ensure that everything is in order. The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 5K is a meaningful element.
The expectation is that the competition itself, especially the full marathon will produce some really good times, at least in the mid-range two minutes area.
I believe Marathon Bahamas III will be something quite special. Chairman Wilson and his associates are to be congratulated for crafting a signature sports/social event in the country.
At the very outset of planning for Marathon Bahamas III, Chairman Wilson expressed excitement and said all the factors would definitely be in place for the event to be dynamic.
Let’s all go out and support it!
Source:
Fred G. Sturrup,
The Freeport News
