MONTEGO BAY, St James — There will be changes to the annual Burger King road race that will be held this afternoon with the distance being cut from 10 kilometres to seven with a walk component being put in place as well.

According to race director Alfred Francis, the changes were made primarily for the benefit of the high school students and the recreational runners who make up the majority of the entries.

“For the high school athletes who have just started their off season training, this distance is more manageable and more helpful for them rather than the longer 10K,” he pointed out.

Francis said the recreational runners would also benefit from the reduced distance and pointed out that the event was not primarily for the elite runners “This event serves dual purposes as all the groups can benefit”, he said.

The race starts at 3:00 pm in front of the Burger King restaurant on Gloucester Avenue and will continue along the Howard Cooke Boulevard to the Freeport Police Station, turning right to the roundabout and back to the starting line.

There is no entry fee for the event and Francis said this signals the commitment of the sponsors to the overall healthy lifestyle of Jamaicans.

“It could look funny to see a fast-food restaurant sponsoring a road race and promoting healthy lifestyles,” Francis told the Sunday Observer, pointing out that their menus contained several healthy items such as salads.