A full hour before dawn, amidst flaming torches and a driving reggae beat, hundreds of marathoners and half-marathoners took off down the road toward Negril, almost three miles away, where they rounded a traffic circle to return past the start and continue along Norman Manley Boulevard to the town of Green Island. The dramatic start, along with the "world's best pasta party," and the finish on Negril's famous seven-mile beach, are just a few of the signature elements that make Jamaica's Reggae Marathon unique.

Three-time winner (2001, 2002, 2004) and course record holder Pamenos Ballantyne, of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, continued his dominance of the marathon, dropping fellow invited runner Michael Wardian (31), of Arlington, VA, after about 16 miles, and cruising in to the finish at 2:28:42. Wardian finished almost seven minutes later (2:35:25). Andrew Gutzmore (39) was third, and the first Jamaican across the line.

Jamaican Arieta Martin earned her second Reggae Marathon victory, running alone and finishing in 3:33:24, more than one minute ahead of Delwyn Williamson of Jamaica Plain, MA, but well off the 3:14:05 she ran last year for her personal best. Karlene Blagrove, also from Jamaica, finished third in 3:38:57.

Ballantyne (31), known as "The Pride of the Caribbean" for his string of road-racing and track victories in Caribbean racing events, knew that the hot tropical sun would play a role in the race. Running shoulder-to-shoulder with him through about 16 miles, Wardian noted that Ballantyne kept looking up at the sky. "He was waiting for the sun to come up," Wardian said. As soon as it did, the heat began to take its toll and Wardian, who usually runs well in the heat, slowed to a 6:20 pace, relinquishing the lead for good.

This year, the accompanying half marathon served as a championship race for the Caribbean Cup, drawing runners from several islands to compete for the prestigious title, but Jamaicans held off the competition, taking the top two spots in the male and female divisions. Wainard Talbert (21) was the overall winner and male Caribbean Cup winner, finishing in 1:09:10, just 27 seconds ahead of Shawn Pitter. Nineteen-year- old Tamica Thomas of Jamaica had similar success, winning the overall and Cup titles in 1:29:25, fending off Mericia James with a scant 12 second lead.

Masters division winners in the marathon and half marathon represented a truly international field. Sponsorship of the race by running shoe manufacturer Puma, which is big in Europe, resulted in greater promotion on the Continent, with runners coming from Great Britain, Poland, Germany, and Italy.

In the half, Ian White of Great Britain (42) ran a 5:56 pace for the win in 1:17:31, more than five minutes ahead of Patrick Lee of Jamaica. Alan Beckford of Kingston finished in 1:24:58 for third. For the women, 44-year-old Siobhan Duffy of Oreland, PA ran 1:47:49 for first, with Heike Driscoll and Susanne Clearhand of Germany finishing second and third, respectively (1:50:10 to 1:54:10).

Masters division winners in the marathon included Delwyn Williamson (2nd overall), Sonia Gayle of Jamaica (4:09:28) and Georganna Quarles (51) of Duck Key, Florida (4:13:26). In the men's division, Bogdan Barewski of Poland (51) ran a blistering 6:30 pace to finish in 2:50:05, good for fourth overall. He was followed by Christian Huber of Germany in 3:11:18, and Owen Greaves of Kingston, Jamaica in 3:17:25.

Race Director Albert "Frano" Francis and Assistant Race Director Gina Harrison talked about the desires of the Jamdammers Running Club to foster and create a love of long-distance running in Jamaica. The club, based in the capital of Kingston, sponsors a series of races that lead up to the marathon, and foster a healthy lifestyle. The club is currently nurturing a 14-year-old girl who has been undefeated for two years, but is not permitted to run great distances yet. Harrison noted that Jamaica is known as a "sprint factory" for producing great runners at the shorter distances.

For runners looking for a winter getaway, the Reggae Marathon offers a wonderful respite from the cold. Negril is home to a wide array of resorts, from lavish, all-inclusive resorts to small bed-and-breakfast establishments. The Couples Swept Away resort hosts the race and expo, as well as the pre-race pasta dinner, post-race victory party, and awards ceremony. Our resort, Point Village, was less than two miles from the start/finish and provided a relaxing retreat with its beachfront mini-suites. With daily direct flights from BWI on Air Jamaica, you can shiver in the cold in Baltimore in the morning, and unwind on the beach by mid-afternoon. Yeah, mon, Jamaica is nice!

The 2006 race date is December 2. For more information on the race, see the race Web site at Reggae Marathon.