These Cayman Marathon stories will warm your heart
It's T minus three days until Cayman streets are alive with the pounding feet of almost 1,000 marathoners, half-marathon entrants and relay runners for the annual Intertrust Cayman Islands Marathon, Half-Marathon and Four-Person Relay.
The anticipated annual event kicks off on Sunday (December 8) at 5 am on the waterfront. It's all for a good cause as the charity event raises funds for the Cayman Islands Cadet Corps and the Cancer Society - as well as other organisations such as Jasmine, Crisis Centre, CCMI and Red Cross.
Some 1,500 participants took part last year and this year is expected to be even bigger, with organisers anticipating 100 new registrations on the day before the race.
It's hard to believe this is the 17th year of the much-loved annual event, which attracts hundreds of visitors to the island for the weekend.
So we've decided to share some of the most beautiful stories from down through the years.
Get the tissues out because this will be emotional!
Cayman resident, Wanda Rice’s mother was always very active, running full marathons, climbing mountains and doing triathlons. Then she was diagnosed in 2010 with stage four lung cancer. As she was recovering and being treated, she asked Wanda and a childhood friend if they would run a half marathon with her "when" she got better. In 2011, in celebration of her remarkable spirit and recovery, the three ran their very first half marathon and have continued running at least one per year since. Still in remission and at 76 years old, Wanda’s mother will be running her first Cayman half next to her daughter.
Robyn Larkin, who supports the event every year by running and volunteering, will be running the full marathon in honour of her mother who died of brain cancer in 2018.
This will be Charlotte Mlynar’s fifth Cayman half marathon. She was joined in the first two by her dad. Sadly, he passed away last year so this race will be for him, said Charlotte, who is from Monroeville, Pennsylvania.
A decade ago, Casandra Barnett from West Bay did the half marathon for the first time with one of her best friends. She figured doing it again this year would be a good way to celebrate that accomplishment, so she'll be among those lacing up on December 8.
All the way from Queensland, Australia, Amanda Barlow will celebrate a very special milestone on Sunday at the Intertrust Cayman Islands Marathon - her 60th full marathon on her 60th birthday! She started running full marathons when she was 49, her first was the London Marathon and since then she has run 59 marathons in 17 different countries around the world, including Antarctica and five Boston Marathons.
Cayman resident, Kelly Fiebig has participated in 11 of the 16 marathons, doing either the relay or half marathon. She took a break in 2018 to have twins and now she’s returning.
Last year, Michael Doherty from Massachusetts in the US ran a full marathon in Maine on his birthday, which just happens to fall on December 8. It was -17C and his poor wife asked if his next full marathon adventure could be on a sunny beach. So he’ll be celebrating his 50th birthday in the sun in the Cayman Islands!
Twin sisters Yvette and Yvonne Carter from Maryland, USA are back to run the half and full respectively. Yvette ran the half in 2018 on a bet from Yvonne. She has struggled with congenital spine and eye problems, and the complications of untreated hypothyroidism for most of her life. With support from her mother, twin and friends who she considers family, she has persevered and accomplished things that many said she could not. Her sister, Yvonne has been the first female marathon winner for the past two years and was hoping for a “three-peat” but now battling a stress fracture she’s hoping just to finish.
Kurt McKenzie has been on a weight loss journey since August 5, 2017 and has gone from 311 to 199 pounds! He walked the half last year and now he is going to run it hoping to show even just one person that nothing is impossible.
Luis Sanchez Sr. and Jr. will be running the half marathon together. The father and son duo are both retired military veterans from the US Army and US Marines respectively. Luis Jr. lives in Grand Cayman and Luis Sr. will be visiting from Puerto Rico. They will be joined by Luis Jr’s 17-year old son Elian.
BOB FM morning talk show host, Taylor Vaughn will be completing her first half marathon after a very eventful year which included losing 129 pounds! Go Taylor!
Beth Florek, who has won the full marathon six times, will return to the road after two years.
Some 1,500 participants took part last year and this year is expected to be even bigger, with organisers anticipating 100 new registrations on the day before the race.
It's hard to believe this is the 17th year of the much-loved annual event, which attracts hundreds of visitors to the island for the weekend.
So we've decided to share some of the most beautiful stories from down through the years.
Get the tissues out because this will be emotional!
Cayman resident, Wanda Rice’s mother was always very active, running full marathons, climbing mountains and doing triathlons. Then she was diagnosed in 2010 with stage four lung cancer. As she was recovering and being treated, she asked Wanda and a childhood friend if they would run a half marathon with her "when" she got better. In 2011, in celebration of her remarkable spirit and recovery, the three ran their very first half marathon and have continued running at least one per year since. Still in remission and at 76 years old, Wanda’s mother will be running her first Cayman half next to her daughter.
Robyn Larkin, who supports the event every year by running and volunteering, will be running the full marathon in honour of her mother who died of brain cancer in 2018.
This will be Charlotte Mlynar’s fifth Cayman half marathon. She was joined in the first two by her dad. Sadly, he passed away last year so this race will be for him, said Charlotte, who is from Monroeville, Pennsylvania.
A decade ago, Casandra Barnett from West Bay did the half marathon for the first time with one of her best friends. She figured doing it again this year would be a good way to celebrate that accomplishment, so she'll be among those lacing up on December 8.
All the way from Queensland, Australia, Amanda Barlow will celebrate a very special milestone on Sunday at the Intertrust Cayman Islands Marathon - her 60th full marathon on her 60th birthday! She started running full marathons when she was 49, her first was the London Marathon and since then she has run 59 marathons in 17 different countries around the world, including Antarctica and five Boston Marathons.
Cayman resident, Kelly Fiebig has participated in 11 of the 16 marathons, doing either the relay or half marathon. She took a break in 2018 to have twins and now she’s returning.
Last year, Michael Doherty from Massachusetts in the US ran a full marathon in Maine on his birthday, which just happens to fall on December 8. It was -17C and his poor wife asked if his next full marathon adventure could be on a sunny beach. So he’ll be celebrating his 50th birthday in the sun in the Cayman Islands!
Twin sisters Yvette and Yvonne Carter from Maryland, USA are back to run the half and full respectively. Yvette ran the half in 2018 on a bet from Yvonne. She has struggled with congenital spine and eye problems, and the complications of untreated hypothyroidism for most of her life. With support from her mother, twin and friends who she considers family, she has persevered and accomplished things that many said she could not. Her sister, Yvonne has been the first female marathon winner for the past two years and was hoping for a “three-peat” but now battling a stress fracture she’s hoping just to finish.
Kurt McKenzie has been on a weight loss journey since August 5, 2017 and has gone from 311 to 199 pounds! He walked the half last year and now he is going to run it hoping to show even just one person that nothing is impossible.
Luis Sanchez Sr. and Jr. will be running the half marathon together. The father and son duo are both retired military veterans from the US Army and US Marines respectively. Luis Jr. lives in Grand Cayman and Luis Sr. will be visiting from Puerto Rico. They will be joined by Luis Jr’s 17-year old son Elian.
BOB FM morning talk show host, Taylor Vaughn will be completing her first half marathon after a very eventful year which included losing 129 pounds! Go Taylor!
Beth Florek, who has won the full marathon six times, will return to the road after two years.